Tensions between the United States and Iran escalated sharply on March 10 after senior Iranian official Ali Larijani publicly warned Donald Trump to “be careful not to be eliminated,” responding to Trump’s threat that Iran would be hit “twenty times harder” if it disrupted oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Reuters and AP both reported that Trump had warned of a much harsher U.S. response if Iran blocked the strategic waterway, which carries roughly a fifth of global oil trade, while Time and other outlets separately reported Larijani’s retaliatory warning. The exchange came amid an already widening conflict involving U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and Iranian threats tied to Gulf shipping, making the rhetoric especially alarming because it was linked to an active military and energy crisis rather than a stand-alone political argument.

The broader backdrop is just as serious. Reuters reported that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted and that the U.S. Navy has told the shipping industry military escorts are not currently possible because of the risks. Saudi Aramco warned of potentially “catastrophic consequences” for oil markets if the strait remains blocked, and oil prices have surged as traders react to the danger. At the same time, AP reported that the U.S. says it has struck Iranian mine-laying vessels, while Iranian officials insist they—not Washington—will decide when the war ends. Taken together, the latest threat against Trump appears to be part of a fast-moving confrontation involving military action, oil supply fears, and increasingly direct messaging from both sides.