Donald Trump is threatening to obliterate Iran’s energy plants and oil wells if it does not open the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran describes US peace proposals as “unrealistic”.
As thousands of US troops begen to arrive in the Middle East on Monday, the US president posted on his platform Truth Social that America would be “blowing up” Iran’s strategically-important Kharg Island if leaders refused to make a deal.
He went on to say the US was in “serious discussions” with a “NEW, AND MORE REASONABLE, REGIME” to end the war.
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“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”,” he said.
The White House later pointed to an April 6 deadline for Tehran.
Israel has continued to carry out strikes on targets across Iran, including on its capital Tehran. (AP: Vahid Salemi)
Mr Trump’s remarks came shortly after Iran described US peace proposals as “unrealistic”.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said it had received US peace proposals via intermediaries, following talks on Sunday between the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
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But he added that the American proposals were “unrealistic, illogical and excessive”.
“Our position is clear. We are under military aggression. Therefore, all our efforts and strength are focused on defending ourselves,” he told a press conference.
The war of words between the Islamic regime and US president came as thousands of US Army soldiers arrived in the Middle East, according to two US officials quoted by news agency Reuters.
Those troops were in addition to 2,500 US Marines who arrived in the Middle East over the weekend.
The conflict has reduced fuel production in a number of Middle Eastern countries, causing a global energy shock. (AP: Leo Correa)
No decision has been made to send troops into Iran, but they will build up capacity for potential future operations in the region, one of the sources said.
The soldiers could be used for several purposes in the Iran war, including an attempt to seize Kharg Island, the hub for 90 per cent of Iran’s oil exports.
Meanwhile, Israel’s military said two drones from Yemen had also been intercepted on Monday, two days after the Iran-aligned Houthis entered the war by firing missiles at Israel, and that Lebanon’s Hezbollah had fired rockets at Israel.
Strikes continued to hit Beirut as hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah show no signs of slowing. (Reuters: Mohamed Azakir)
Israeli forces carried out missile strikes on what they called military infrastructure in Tehran and infrastructure used by Iran-backed Hezbollah in Beirut, leaving black smoke hanging over the Lebanese capital.
Türkiye’s defence ministry said a ballistic missile launched from Iran entered Turkish airspace before being shot down by NATO air and missile defences deployed in the eastern Mediterranean, the fourth such incident since the start of the war.
Reuters/ABC
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