Trump threatens to 'obliterate' Iran energy sites — claims 'great progress' with 'new, more reasonable' Iranian regime
·Washington, D.C., USA
President Trump posted on Truth Social threatening to 'obliterate' Iranian energy sites including Kharg Island if Tehran does not reach a peace deal 'shortly.' In the same post, he claimed talks are making 'great progress' with what he called a 'NEW, AND MORE REASONABLE, REGIME' in Iran — a formulation that implies recognition of post-Khamenei leadership as a distinct and potentially more flexible entity. The dual messaging continues Trump's contradictory public posture: maximum military threat alongside optimistic diplomatic framing.
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump quoted in full by Al Jazeera: '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."' The explicit threat to desalination plants — serving millions of Iranians in one of the world's most water-scarce environments — drew immediate condemnation from international law experts. Yusra Suedi (University of Manchester) said Trump's threat 'reinforces the climate of impunity around collective punishment in warfare' and that targeting civilian water infrastructure is 'clearly an act of collective punishment, prohibited under international law.' Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi directly contradicted Trump's 'great progress' framing, calling US demands 'unrealistic, illogical and excessive.' The post's 'NEW, AND MORE REASONABLE, REGIME' formulation — Trump's second use of this phrase — signals he views post-Khamenei Iran's leadership as a legitimately distinct entity, potentially easing his diplomatic path to a deal while maintaining maximum-pressure military posture publicly.
Trump Truth Social: will 'obliterate' Iran energy/Kharg Island if no deal 'shortly'; simultaneously claims 'great progress' with 'NEW, MORE REASONABLE REGIME' in Iran