From the Liveblog of
Monday, March 30, 2026
Trump says he expects a deal ‘shortly’ with Iran, threatens to ‘blow up’ Kharg Island if Hormuz Strait is not immediately reopened
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleNava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.
US President Donald Trump says progress is being made in “serious discussions” with Iran about ending the war, while warning that the US will destroy key Iranian energy sites and infrastructure if a deal is not achieved “shortly” and if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened, in a post on his Truth Social account.
“The United States of America is in serious discussions with A NEW, AND MORE REASONABLE, REGIME to end our Military Operations in Iran,” writes Trump. “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 adds.
“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,'” Trump concludes.
The US has been deploying thousands of troops to the region since Trump announced talks last week in preparation for a potential ground invasion.
While there has not been regime change in Iran and it remains unclear with which Iranian officials Washington is speaking, Trump has repeatedly said that strikes against the top leadership there effectively amount to regime change.
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) March 30, 2026
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