Trump threatened to strike Iran's energy facilities and desalination plants
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the United States could launch new strikes against Iran’s critical infrastructure if Tehran does not agree to a deal. Among the possible targets, he named power plants, desalination plants, and the island of Kharg, which is crucial for Iranian oil exports.
Commenting on previous U.S. strikes against Iran, the U.S. president said they had, in his words, a “huge impact.” He noted that radar stations, among other targets, were attacked during the operation. However, according to Trump, this was not yet the “maximum level” of possible action. “We haven’t hit ‘maximum level’ yet. The highest level is bridges… Power plants where they generate electricity. We may have to take them out. I don’t want to, but if we have to, we’ll strike them,” said the U.S. president.
He also stated that desalination plants could be among the potential targets. “They have desalination plants. We’ll strike them if we have to. I really don’t want to do that,” Trump said.
In addition, the U.S. president mentioned the island of Kharg, through which a significant portion of Iran’s oil exports passes. At the same time, Trump emphasized that he would not like to see such a scenario unfold, but accused Iran of being unwilling to move toward an agreement. “Generally speaking, I’m not a fan of this, but they deserve it. Because they say they want to negotiate a deal—but they aren’t doing it,” he said.
So far, there has been no official reaction from Iran to these statements. Trump made these remarks while speaking with reporters alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hagset canceled a planned visit to Israel to meet with PrimeBenjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz due to Iran’s attacks on commercial tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and the subsequent overnight strikes by the U.S. military ontargets in Tehran.
