US President Donald Trump on March 30 warned of a major escalation if a deal to end the widening Middle East war is not reached “shortly,” threatening to “completely obliterate” Iran’s power plants, oil wells, the Kharg Island export terminal and even desalination facilities if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened. The warning came as Iran struck a water and power plant in Kuwait and an oil refinery in Israel, and as US and Israeli forces launched fresh strikes on Iranian targets, leaving diplomatic prospects unclear.
Trump posted that “great progress is being made” in talks to halt the fighting but also told the Financial Times he might seek to “take the oil in Iran,” a move that would require seizing Kharg Island — a hub through which most Iranian exports flow — adding, “Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t.” Legal experts note that attacking civilian infrastructure is permissible under the laws of armed conflict only when a clear military advantage outweighs civilian harm; indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks can amount to war crimes.
Tehran rejected US demands. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Iran had received a 15-point proposal from Washington but denied any direct negotiations, calling the demands “excessive, unrealistic and irrational.” Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, accused the talks held in Pakistan of being a pretext while more US troops arrive, and state media quoted him saying Iranian forces were “waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional partners forever.” The status of Pakistan-facilitated diplomacy remains uncertain.
The conflict spread across the region. Sirens sounded near Israel’s main nuclear research centre and Israel said it shot down two drones launched from Yemen after Houthi forces entered the war. Saudi air defences intercepted missiles aimed at its Eastern province, a missile interception produced a fireball over Dubai, and Kuwait’s state news agency KUNA reported an Iranian strike on a power and desalination plant that killed one worker and wounded 10 soldiers. Iran reported explosions in Tehran after Israeli strikes and state media said a petrochemicals plant in Tabriz was damaged. An Emirati official signalled the UAE wants Iran disarmed in any ceasefire.
Violence has also exacted a humanitarian toll: an Indonesian UN peacekeeper was killed and three others wounded in southern Lebanon; an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb killed one person and wounded 17, including four children. Officials cited by authorities say more than 1,900 people have died in Iran and 19 in Israel, with roughly two dozen killed across Gulf states and the occupied West Bank. Lebanon’s officials report over 1,200 dead and more than one million displaced. Six Israeli soldiers have died in Lebanon and 13 US service members have been killed in the conflict.
The attacks and Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz have shaken global energy markets. Trump said Iran agreed to allow 20 oil tankers through the strait starting Monday, though there was no confirmation those ships had moved. Brent crude was trading around $115 per barrel on Monday, roughly 60 percent higher than before the war began, underscoring rising fears of a wider energy crisis. (AP)
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/03/31/trump-threatens-more-destruction-in-iran-if-deal-not-reached-shortly/
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Publish Date: 2026-03-31 05:24:00
