The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has warned that he is not ready to sign any agreement to end the ongoing war with Iran, saying the conditions offered by Tehran are not good enough.
In an interview with NBC News, Trump said he believes Iran is willing to come to the negotiating table, but the United States will continue the fight to secure stronger terms. He even hinted at the possibility of further bombing of Iran’s key oil hub, Kharg Island, suggesting it could happen “just for fun.”
The conflict involving the United States and its ally Israel has now entered its third week, with neither side showing signs of backing down. Israel carried out fresh strikes in western Iran on Sunday, while Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened to track down and assassinate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The fighting has significantly disrupted global oil supply after the strategic Strait of Hormuz was closed, sending oil prices soaring and causing severe economic concerns worldwide.
Trump said the United States would intensify military operations along Iran’s northern coastline near the strait to ensure the resumption of oil shipments. He also proposed an international naval operation to secure shipping routes and called on countries including China, France, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom to send ships to the region. However, some of those countries have not yet made firm commitments.
Meanwhile, Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, vowed in a written statement that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed. Trump dismissed the claim and even questioned whether Khamenei was still alive, saying no proof of his survival had been presented. Iranian authorities later insisted that the new leader was safe but had not yet appeared in public.
Regional tensions have also spread beyond Iran. Bahrain and Saudi Arabia said they intercepted new missile attacks on Sunday, while authorities in Dubai reported that air defense systems had shot down incoming threats.
According to Iran’s Health Ministry, more than 1,200 people have been killed in US and Israeli strikes so far. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said nearly 3.2 million people have been displaced by the conflict.
The Pentagon reported that US forces have struck around 15,000 targets inside Iran and deployed an additional 2,500 Marines to the region as the conflict continues to escalate.
