"Will Blow Up Kharg Island, Oil Wells If...": Trump's Ultimatum To Iran

US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to "blow up and completely obliterate" Iran's electric generating plants and Kharg Island if a deal between Tehran and Washington is not reached soon.

The President issued the warning via his social media platform Truth Social, saying that the action would follow if Iran did not immediately open the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump wrote, "The United States of America is in serious discussions with A NEW, AND MORE REASONABLE, REGIME to end our Military Operations in Iran. 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 added that this would 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.' Thank you for your attention to this matter."

Tehran has refused to acknowledge any official talks with Washington. However, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency, it has passed a response via Islamabad to a 15-point plan put forward by the US President.

Iran on Monday also denied involvement in Pakistani-led mediation efforts.

"No direct US talks; only excessive, unreasonable demands via intermediaries. US "diplomacy" flips constantly; our stance is clear. Pakistan's forums are their own; we didn't participate. Regional calls to end war are welcome, but remember who started it!" the Consulate General of Iran in Mumbai said in a statement. 

The United States and Israel maintained their attacks on Iran on Monday. In response, Iran struck a key water and electrical plant in Kuwait as part of its campaign against Gulf Arab states and also hit an oil refinery in northern Israel. President Trump said Iran had agreed to allow 20 oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz starting on Monday as a sign of respect.

Trump's remarks followed a Washington Post report claiming the Pentagon was preparing for weeks of potential ground invasion by sending around 10,000 troops to Iran. Around 3,500 personnel, including 2,200 Marines, arrived last week, with thousands more from the 82nd Airborne Division currently on the way.

Trump has long focused on Kharg Island, which is responsible for 90 per cent of Iran's oil. Earlier, in an interview with the Financial Times, he indicated that America could "take the oil in Iran" and seize the island, which serves as Tehran's main oil export hub, as the war in the Middle East entered its fifth week.

"To be honest with you, my favourite thing is to take the oil in Iran, but some stupid people back in the US say, 'Why are you doing that?' But they're stupid people," Trump told the FT. He suggested the move could involve taking Kharg Island, adding: "Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don't. We have a lot of options... It would also mean we had to be there for a while."