US President Donald Trump has published an expletive-laden post on social media in which he threatened to destroy Iran’s power plants and bridges if it failed to meet his Tuesday deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping.

He repeated an earlier threat to unleash “hell” but told US media there was a “good chance” of a deal being reached with Tehran.

Iran mocked his ultimatum, dismissing it as “helpless, nervous and stupid”.

Trump’s new threat came after he announced that the second crew member of a US fighter jet downed over Iran had been successfully rescued in an operation deep inside hostile territory.

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He said: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP”

Afterwards, he told Fox News there was a “good chance” a deal would be reached on Monday, but he was considering “blowing everything up and taking over the oil” if a deal to end the war was not reached quickly.

Later, the US president posted again - “Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!” - an apparent extension of the deadline originally meant to expire on Monday, 6 April.

Trump has postponed deadlines for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz several times.

On 21 March, Trump initially threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if the Strait of Hormuz was not “FULLY OPEN” within 48 hours.