Trump vows ‘retribution’ in threat against Iran
President Donald Trump has warned that Iran’s energy plants and oil wells will be obliterated if it does not open the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran described US peace proposals as “unrealistic” and fired waves of missiles at Israel.
Source: Rapid Response47
US President Donald Trump has renewed his threat to obliterate Iran’s energy infrastructure — including oil wells and Kharg Island — as “retribution” if it does not open the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said in a social media post that the United States was in talks with a “more reasonable regime” to end the war in Iran but he also issued the warning.
“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 desalinisation plants!), which we have purposefully not yet ‘touched’,” he wrote.
“This will 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’.
Kharg Island, a small island off the coast of Iran, contains a major oil terminal and is the country’s main oil export hub and key economic lifeline. Trump also threatened a US attack on desalination plants that supply clean water in Iran.
He said last week he would pause attacks on Iran’s energy plants for 10 days, until April 6, US time.
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The price of oil shot up again and is on track for a record monthly rise.
Iran has largely blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway which normally carries about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.
Iran remains defiant in the month-old war. Tehran said branded the US’s peace proposals as “unrealistic, illogical and excessive”.
“Our position is clear. We are under military aggression. Therefore, all our efforts and strength are focused on defending ourselves,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said.
Baghaei also said Iran’s parliament was reviewing a possible exit from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which recognises the right to develop, research, produce and use nuclear energy as long as nuclear weapons are not pursued.
A Pakistani security official, whose country is trying to mediate in the war, said it appeared unlikely there would be direct US-Iran talks this week.
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“We are trying our best to make it happen as early as possible,” the official said.
Trump has cited preventing Iran obtaining nuclear weapons as one of the reasons for attacking Iran on February 28.
Iran denies it is seeking a nuclear arsenal.
On Sunday, Trump said the US and Iran had been meeting “directly and indirectly”. But he has also been sending more US troops to the region.
The US Department of Defence is dispatching thousands of troops to the Middle East, giving Trump the option of launching a ground offensive. Multiple news outlets report he is yet to approve any of those plans.
Iran has fired on Arab Gulf states during the conflict and war has been reignited between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, where a United Nations peacekeeper from Indonesia was killed when a projectile exploded at one of its positions in southern Lebanon on Sunday.
Another peacekeeper was critically injured.
Iran confirmed on Monday the death of Revolutionary Guards Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri, the latest of its leaders killed including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has been replaced by his son Mojtaba Khamenei.
-with AAP
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