DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a threat to Iran, warning of extensive destruction to its energy infrastructure and key facilities, including desalination plants, if a deal to end the war with Tehran is not secured “shortly.”
Meanwhile, the conflict showed no signs of abating: Tehran targeted a critical water and electrical plant in Kuwait, and an oil refinery in Israel was attacked. In response, Israel and the U.S. initiated a new wave of strikes on Iran.
Trump’s new threat, shared via social media and earlier remarks in an interview with the Financial Times, suggested that American forces might take control of Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub. While he has often claimed that negotiations with Iran are proceeding well, Tehran denies direct talks. Concurrently, he has escalated his threats, as thousands more Marines and other U.S. troops pour into the Middle East.
The status of the diplomatic initiative facilitated by Pakistan remains uncertain. Iran’s aggressive actions against its Gulf neighbors could further complicate any negotiations. The United Arab Emirates, which has positioned itself as a beacon of safety and stability in the region, has suffered significantly in the conflict and is increasingly advocating for Iran’s disarmament before agreeing to a ceasefire. However, Iran’s theocratic leadership is unlikely to agree to such terms.
Trump says diplomacy is going well but suggests military expansion is possible
In a social media update, Trump claimed “great progress is being made” in discussions with Iran to halt military operations. However, he warned that if an agreement is not secured “shortly” and the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened immediately, the U.S. might escalate its military actions by “completely obliterating” power plants, oil wells, Kharg Island, and potentially targeting desalination plants that provide drinking water.
The Strait of Hormuz is a vital waterway where a fifth of the world’s oil passes during peacetime.
In his FT interview, Trump expressed a preference to “take the oil in Iran,” which would necessitate taking control of Kharg Island, through which most of Iran’s oil exports transit.
“Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t,” he remarked. “We have a lot of options.”
The U.S. has already targeted military sites on Kharg previously. Iran has threatened to invade Gulf Arab countries and mine the Persian Gulf if U.S. troops set foot on its territory.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei stated on Monday that Tehran had received a 15-point proposal from the Trump administration but confirmed there hadn’t been any direct talks with Washington yet.
Earlier, Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, criticized the talks in Pakistan as a pretext to increase U.S. military presence in the region. According to state media, he claimed Iranian forces were “waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional partners forever.”
During Trump’s second term, the U.S. has twice attacked Iran amid high-level diplomatic negotiations, including the Feb. 28 strikes that initiated the ongoing war.
Iran launches attacks on Israel and hits more infrastructure in Gulf states
Sirens blared at dawn near Israel’s main nuclear research center, a frequently targeted area in recent days. Israel’s military reported intercepting two drones launched from Yemen, where the Iranian-supported Houthi rebels entered the war on Saturday with a missile attack.
Later, a fire erupted at an oil refinery in the northern city of Haifa, either due to a missile strike or debris from a missile interception. The fire was quickly put out.
Iran continued to exert pressure on its Gulf Arab neighbors. Saudi Arabia intercepted five missiles targeting its oil-rich Eastern province, Bahrain issued a missile alert, and a fireball appeared over Dubai, United Arab Emirates, as a missile was intercepted.
In Kuwait, an Iranian attack on a power and desalination plant resulted in one worker’s death and injuries to 10 soldiers, according to the state-run KUNA news agency.
In the face of Iran’s ongoing campaign against its Gulf neighbors, an Emirati government official signaled on Monday that the United Arab Emirates seeks more than just a ceasefire.
“We want a normal neighbor,” Noura Al Kaabi, a minister of state at the UAE’s Foreign Ministry, wrote in a column for the state-linked English-language newspaper The National. “An Iranian regime that launches ballistic missiles at homes, weaponizes global trade and supports proxies is no longer an acceptable feature of the regional landscape.”
She added: “We want a guarantee that this will never happen again.”
Israel’s military, in turn, launched a fresh wave of attacks on Iran, targeting “military infrastructure” in Tehran. Explosions were reported in the Iranian capital, and Iranian state media confirmed damage to a petrochemicals plant in Tabriz following an airstrike.
On Monday, Iran confirmed that Rear Adm. Alireza Tangsiri, head of the Revolutionary Guard’s navy, had been killed in an Israeli airstrike, as Israel had claimed the previous week.
In Lebanon, which Israel has invaded, an Indonesian peacekeeper was killed, and three others were wounded when a projectile exploded near a village in the south.
Over the weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the military would broaden its invasion, expanding the “existing security strip” in southern Lebanon as it targets the Iran-linked Hezbollah militant group.
In Iran, authorities report more than 1,900 fatalities, while 19 deaths have been reported in Israel.
In the Gulf states and the occupied West Bank, two dozen people have been killed. In Lebanon, officials reported over 1,200 deaths and more than 1 million displaced individuals.
In Lebanon, six Israeli soldiers have died, and in the broader conflict, 13 U.S. service members have been killed.
Oil prices rise again as concerns of global energy crisis grow
Iran’s attacks on regional energy infrastructure and its control over the Strait of Hormuz have jeopardized global supplies of oil, natural gas, and fertilizer. This situation has driven fuel prices sharply up, intensifying growing concerns over a looming energy crisis.
Trump has stated that Iran agreed to allow 20 oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday as “a sign of respect.” There was no confirmation on whether these ships were moving as of Monday.
Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, was trading around $115 on Monday, up nearly 60% since the conflict began.
Rising reported from Bangkok, Corder from The Hague, Netherlands. Associated Press writers Darlene Superville aboard Air Force One, Melanie Lidman, Tel Aviv, Israel, Giovanna Dell’Orto in Miami and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this story.
