Open Hormuz or face total energy destruction: Trump warns Iran
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has issued a fresh warning to Iran, telling the Islamic Republic to immediately open the Strait of Hormuz. "Great progress has been made, but if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached....and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately 'Open for Business,' we will conclude our lovely 'stay' in Iran by...completely obliterating all...Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants), which we have purposefully not yet 'touched'."
Military escalation
Trump wants to 'take the oil in Iran'
He said the action 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'." In an interview with the Financial Times, he said he wants to "take the oil in Iran" by seizing its export hub of Kharg Island. "Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we do''t. We have a lot of options," he said.
Military
Trump administration has intensified its military presence
The Trump administration has intensified its military presence in the Middle East amid the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran. US Marines have been deployed to the region and the administration has also been planning to send thousands of soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division to the region. On Saturday, about 3,500 additional troops arrived aboard USS Tripoli, according to United States Central Command (CENTCOM).
Iran
Iran threatened US troops if they were to invade Iran
Kharg Island is crucial for Iran's oil exports, receiving crude from major offshore fields before processing and shipping it globally. Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said any such attempt would be met with targeted attacks on the "vital infrastructure" of a regional country. He also warned that if US troops were to invade Iran, "our men are waiting...on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional allies once and for all."