Trump Zigzags on Iran, Claiming ‘Great Progress’ but Making Threats
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- President Trump threatened a major escalation in the Iran conflict, vowing to destroy Iranian oil facilities and infrastructure if negotiations fail or the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.
- Trump claimed "great progress" in talks with Iran and suggested the U.S. was in discussions with a "new, and more reasonable, regime," while also asserting that regime change had been achieved through targeted killings.
- The president indicated the possibility of seizing Kharg Island, Iran's largest oil facility, as thousands of additional U.S. troops, including Marines and Special Operations forces, arrived in the Middle East.
- Despite Trump's claim that Iran agreed to allow 20 more oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, only two Chinese-owned container ships had passed by Monday afternoon, with no reports of oil tankers transiting.
- The president's warning coincided with a rise in oil prices, which briefly reached $116 a barrel amid heightened tensions and uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz's status.
