Trump Threatens to Destroy Iran's Energy Sites if Negotiations Fail
US President Donald Trump has stated that negotiations with Iran to end the war are making progress. Trump then warned that Iran’s energy infrastructure would be destroyed if the negotiations do not soon produce an agreement.
In a statement via the social media platform Truth Social, as reported by Anadolu Agency on Tuesday (31/3/2026), Trump threatened to attack Iran’s power plants, oil wells, and the Kharg oil export terminal, as well as desalination plants, if the talks, mediated by Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt, end in failure.
“If for any reason an agreement is not reached immediately, which could happen, and if the Strait of Hormuz is not ‘Opened for Business’ immediately, we will end our ‘pleasant’ visit to Iran by blowing up and completely destroying all Power Plants, Oil Wells, and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalination plants!)” Trump wrote in his statement.
Kharg Island is a vital oil export hub for Iran. Trump had previously stated that he preferred to “take the oil” in Iran and hinted that the US could seize Kharg Island from Tehran.
Despite issuing the warning, Trump also said that “serious discussions” are underway with Iran’s “new and more reasonable” regime.
Trump then told Bloomberg media that Iran wants to “resolve the conflict”. He described the war as going “very well”.
On Monday (30/3), Iran stated that they have not engaged in direct negotiations with the US. Tehran noted that recent contacts with Washington have been limited to messages conveyed through intermediaries.
Regional countries are attempting to mediate an agreement between the two parties, with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar indicating that Islamabad is willing to host talks between the US and Iran.
On Sunday (29/3), Trump pushed for diplomatic efforts involving indirect contacts between Washington and Tehran, with mediators including Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt. He stated that indirect talks through Pakistan’s “emissaries” are ongoing.
“An agreement can be made quite quickly,” Trump claimed.
The Middle East region has been heating up since the US and Israel launched large-scale joint attacks against Iran on 28 February. A total of at least 1,340 people were killed as a result of the US-Israeli attack barrages in various regions of Iran, including the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran retaliated with waves of missile and drone attacks against targets in Israel and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.
Iran’s retaliatory attacks triggered damage and casualties in Israel and the Gulf countries. At least 13 US soldiers in the Gulf countries were killed due to Iran’s barrage of retaliatory attacks. More than 300 other US soldiers were injured.