The war in the Middle East entered a dangerous new phase Sunday as Iran threatened to "completely close" the Strait of Hormuz and target energy infrastructure across the region, hours after President Donald Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum warning he would strike Iranian power plants if oil shipments remained blocked.

The standoff has direct implications for San Diego. The USS Boxer and its 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, home-ported at Naval Base San Diego, are already deployed to the Middle East. Marine Corps Air Station Miramar has remained on heightened alert since the conflict began Feb. 28, and thousands of military families across East County — many with spouses or parents aboard ships in the Persian Gulf — are closely tracking developments.

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf warned Sunday that if U.S. strikes hit Iranian power plants, "vital infrastructure across the region — including energy and desalination facilities" would be "irreversibly destroyed." The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly one-fifth of the global oil supply, and attacks on shipping have already stopped nearly all tanker traffic through the passage.

At the pump, East County residents are already feeling it. San Diego-area gas prices were approaching record territory as of last week, with the war's disruption of global oil markets a primary driver. Every meaningful escalation in the strait tends to translate to higher prices at local stations within days.

The conflict, launched by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28, has killed more than 2,000 people and rattled the global economy. Trump said Friday the U.S. was considering "winding down" operations, then issued the power plant ultimatum Saturday — a series of contradictions that has left analysts and military families alike uncertain about the conflict's direction. Military family support resources are available through Military OneSource at 800-342-9647.