By Nana Karikari, Senior Global Affairs Correspondent
United States President Donald Trump issued a sweeping ultimatum to Tehran on Monday, warning that the United States is prepared to “completely obliterate” Iran’s critical energy infrastructure if a peace deal is not reached and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.
The president specifically targeted electric generating plants, oil wells, and Kharg Island, a coral outcrop that serves as the terminal for approximately 90% of Iran’s crude exports. Writing on Truth Social, Trump stated: “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.’”
This escalatory rhetoric comes as the war enters its fifth week. The administration is reportedly weighing the introduction of ground forces to seize Kharg Island, a major fuel hub with a loading capacity of roughly 7 million barrels per day.
Tehran Dismisses U.S. Peace Demands as Unrealistic
The Iranian Foreign Ministry swiftly contradicted the president’s claims of diplomatic “great progress.” Earlier in the day, a spokesperson for the ministry stated that Iran deemed the proposals presented in a 15-point U.S. plan as “excessive and unreasonable.” While Trump alluded to a “new regime,” Iranian leaders have denied being in any direct talks with the United States.
The standoff follows a period of relative restraint; last week, Trump indicated he would pause attacks on Iran’s energy plants for 10 days. That grace period has effectively pushed the current diplomatic deadline to April 6. However, as of Monday morning, Tehran had not yet issued a formal comment on the president’s latest threats of total obliteration.
Global Oil Prices Surge Amid Supply Chokepoints
Energy markets reacted sharply to the prospect of further escalation, with international benchmark Brent crude on track to notch its steepest monthly rise on record. The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which typically carries 20% of the global oil supply, has created a massive supply vacuum. Since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on February 28, shipping traffic through the strait has virtually ground to a halt.
Iran has retaliated by targeting vessels attempting to navigate the corridor, leading to several reported incidents. President Trump further unsettled markets by telling the Financial Times that his “preference would be to take the oil in Iran.” This surge has trickled down to American consumers, with the average U.S. gas price hitting $3.99 per gallon. This monthly increase outpaces the spikes seen following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 or the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Legal Experts Warn of Potential War Crimes
The legality of targeting civilian infrastructure has come under intense scrutiny. Craig Jones, a senior lecturer at Newcastle University, noted that such strikes must provide a “concrete and direct” military advantage. “It looks like with Trump’s threats, there isn’t a distinct military advantage to them,” Jones told reporters, adding that retaliation is “not legal” under international law.
UN Special Rapporteur Ben Saul echoed these concerns, stating that attacks on civilian energy grids would constitute “war crimes.” Amnesty International’s Heba Morayef also warned of “devastating civilian harm” arising from strikes on energy infrastructure, noting a substantial risk of violating international humanitarian law.
Rising Civilian Toll and Regional Displacement
The humanitarian cost continues to mount as the air campaign enters a new phase. State media reported that at least two people were killed in a US-Israeli strike on an orphanage in Fardis, west of Tehran. Human rights groups estimate that strikes in Iran have killed at least 230 children since the conflict began.
In Israel, the conflict’s reach was felt when debris from an intercepted attack hit an oil refinery in Haifa Bay, sending thick black smoke over the facility. Meanwhile, in Lebanon, UNICEF reported that 20% of the population has been displaced in just three weeks, with 19,000 children forced to flee their homes daily due to the bombardment.
Internal Fractures and Regional Spillover
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that “fractures” are forming within the Iranian leadership, though he declined to name specific officials. While the IRGC confirmed the death of Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri, they maintained their maritime operations remain effective.
The conflict is drawing in secondary actors; Houthi militants in Yemen have threatened to target the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a move experts call a “nightmare scenario” for global trade. Concurrently, European allies are distancing themselves; Spain’s defense minister, Margarita Robles, declared the war “profoundly illegal” and barred U.S. forces from using Spanish bases for the campaign.
The path forward remains precarious as the international community weighs military leverage against the risk of total regional collapse. With the April 6 deadline looming and diplomatic channels largely relegated to intermediaries, the coming days will determine if the current rhetoric yields a negotiated settlement or a definitive expansion of the war.
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