Trump says the US is in talks with Iranian leadership to end the war and will blow up power plants if no deal is reached.
US President Donald Trump posted the statement on his Truth Social account on Monday.
He described the discussions as progressing.
Trump added that the US now deals with a new leadership in Iran and wants to bring military operations to a close.
“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,” Trump stated.
He went on to set out conditions for any agreement.
Trump said the Strait of Hormuz must reopen for business without delay. Then he issued the threat.
“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.’”
Trump linked the possible strikes to past events.
He said the action would serve as retribution for soldiers and others killed under the old Iranian regime.
“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,’” he said.
The comments arrive after months of conflict. In late February joint US and Israeli strikes hit Iranian targets and killed the supreme leader.
Iran then fired missiles and drones at US forces in the region.
Iranian authorities also blocked traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the route that carries one fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas.
Disruptions in the strait cut shipping traffic and pushed oil prices higher.
The US has offered ceasefire talks at times and delayed planned attacks when it saw signs of progress in talks.
Iran has turned down some proposals and set its own conditions for peace that centre on control in the Gulf.
The situation continues to affect energy supplies and shipping across the Middle East and beyond.
