US President Donald Trump has warned that the United States could target Iran’s power plants, oil wells, and major fuel hub Kharg Island if a deal with Tehran is not reached “shortly,” even as he claimed that serious discussions are underway with a “new and more reasonable” Iranian regime.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: “Great progress has been made but, if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately ‘Open for Business,’ we will conclude our lovely ‘stay’ in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have purposefully not yet ‘touched’.
“This will be in retribution for our many soldiers, and others, that Iran has butchered and killed over the old Regime’s 47 year ‘Reign of Terror’.”
Iran, however, has dismissed US demands as “excessive and unreasonable.” A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Baghaei, said Tehran has had no direct negotiations with the US, with discussions so far occurring only through intermediaries. He also accused the US of constantly shifting its position, questioning the credibility of American diplomacy.
The escalating rhetoric comes as oil prices surged to $115 per barrel, following new attacks reported across Iran, Lebanon, and Israel. In the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to meet business leaders in Downing Street to discuss the conflict’s economic impact, while reiterating that “this is not our war.”
Analysts are questioning whether Trump’s latest threats, particularly targeting Kharg Island and Iran’s energy infrastructure, are a strategic bluff or a credible warning, amid rising regional tensions and ongoing indirect talks between the two countries.
The situation highlights growing instability in the Middle East and the fragile prospects for diplomacy as both sides maintain firm positions amid ongoing military and economic pressures.
Melissa Enoch
