Protesters attend a rally in London on Saturday against United States-Israeli attacks on Iran. Li Ying / Xinhua

　　The United States has threatened to "obliterate" Iran's power plants in 48 hours over the Strait of Hormuz issue, just a day after President Donald Trump said he was winding down the war, adding complexity to diplomacy anew.

　　The US administration said on Saturday that if Iran "doesn't fully open, without threat, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 hours", Washington "will hit and obliterate their various power plants, starting with the biggest one first".

　　Both the US and Iran threatened to escalate their fighting by targeting energy and fuel facilities, including related US and Israeli assets in the Gulf, which has already started to affect global energy and food costs as the conflict entered its fourth week.

　　"Following previous warnings, if Iran's fuel and energy infrastructure is attacked by the enemy, all infrastructure of energy, information technology, and desalination facilities belonging to the US and (Israel) in the region will be targeted," said Ebrahim Zolfaqari, a spokesman for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters.

　　Iran's representative to the International Maritime Organization, Ali Mousavi, said ships, except those from "enemies", can pass the Strait of Hormuz with prior coordination with Iranian authorities for security and safety arrangements.

　　International maritime commitments should also include respect for Iran's territorial integrity and sovereign rights, Mousavi was quoted as saying in Iranian media reports published on Sunday. Tehran stands ready to cooperate with the IMO and other countries to enhance maritime safety and protect seafarers, he added.