<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="http://9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="" title="US"><span>US</span></a><span> President </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="" title="Donald Trump"><span>Donald Trump</span></a><span> has threatened widespread destruction of </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/iran" rel="" target="" title="Iran"><span>Iran</span></a><span>'s energy resources and other vital infrastructure if a deal to end the </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/israel-iran-conflict" rel="" target="" title="war with Tehran"><span>war with Tehran</span></a><span> is not reached soon.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In a social media post on Monday, Trump said "great progress is being made" in talks with Iran to end military operations.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But he bristled that if a deal was not reached and and if the strategic Hormuz Strait was not immediately reopened, the US would broaden its offensive by "completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!)".</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>EXPLAINER </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/dezi-freeman-update-everything-we-know-questions-explained/43f1f025-96c6-4ab5-8de3-ac9cdb91a3fc"><strong><span>Dezi Freeman's death leaves one big question unanswered</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>On the ground, the war showed no sign of letting up: Tehran struck a key water and electrical plant in Kuwait, and an oil refinery in Israel came under attack. Israel and the US launched a new wave of strikes on Iran.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump's social media post and earlier comments in an interview with the Financial Times that suggested American troops could seize the country's Kharg Island export hub highlight how he has repeatedly said that talks with Iran are ongoing — and even going well — though Tehran denies negotiating directly. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But at the same time, he has continually ramped up his threats, as thousands more Marines and other US troops pour into the Middle East.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-update-donald-trump-issues-new-threat-to-irans-civilian-infrastructure-if-a-ceasefire-isnt-reached-shortly/f19f84a7-f188-4e3c-abb6-82a98c943f27" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It remains unclear where the diplomatic effort facilitated by Pakistan stands. Iran's attacks on its Gulf neighbours could add another element of uncertainty to any talks. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The United Arab Emirates — which has long billed itself as a beacon of safety and stability in a volatile region — has been hard hit in the war, and increasingly is signalling it wants Iran disarmed in any ceasefire. Iran's theocracy likely won't accept that.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/three-men-fighting-for-life-stabbed-fight-girraween-sydney/2cc7696c-19ab-4a8d-831f-a01a05e3ed86"><strong><span>Three men fighting for life after fight stabbing</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><span>Trump says diplomacy is going well but suggests military expansion is possible</span></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In the interview with the Financial Times, Trump said his preference would be to "take the oil in Iran" — a move that would require seizing Kharg Island — the terminal through which nearly all of Iran's oil exports pass.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don't," he said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We have a lot of options."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Also in the interview, Trump said that the US had about 3000 targets that it would still like to hit in Iran. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/charges-dropped-against-brisbane-teen-after-woman-run-over-in-alleged-home-invasion-ascot-queensland-crime-news/6e88488c-2adf-4d93-908c-85e14f59613f" rel="" target="" title=""><strong><span>'Let us down': Case dropped after woman run over</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"A deal could be made fairly quickly," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One late on Sunday (Monday AEDT) that the US was negotiating "directly and indirectly" with Iran.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We're doing extremely well in that negotiation but you never know with Iran because we negotiate with them and then we always have to blow them up," Trump said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Twice during Trump's second term, the US has attacked Iran while in the middle of negotiations, once with the strikes on February 28 that started the current war and also in June.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei on Monday acknowledged Tehran had been given a 15-point proposal from the Trump administration, but said there had been no direct negotiations with Washington so far.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Earlier, Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, dismissed the talks in Pakistan as a cover to get more than US troops into the area. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He said Iranian forces were "waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional partners forever," according to state media.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The US already launched airstrikes once that targeted military positions on Kharg. Iran has threatened to launch its own ground invasion of Gulf Arab countries and mine the Persian Gulf if US troops land on its territory.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>To get an amphibious invasion force to Kharg would mean transiting the Strait of Hormuz and most of the Persian Gulf. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Experts say that holding the island would also be a challenge, because in addition to its missiles and drones, it would be well within artillery range from the Iranian mainland.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><span>Iran launches attacks on Israel and hits more than infrastructure targets in Gulf states</span></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Sirens sounded at dawn near Israel's main nuclear research centre, a part of the country that has been targeted repeatedly in recent days. Israel's military also said it had taken out two drones launched from Yemen, where the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels entered the war on Saturday with their first missile attack.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Later, a fire broke out at an oil refinery in the northern city of Haifa, one of only two in Israel, either from a missile strike or from debris falling from an interception. The blaze was quickly extinguished.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Iran kept up the pressure on its Gulf Arab neighbours, as Saudi Arabia intercepted five missiles targeting its oil-rich Eastern province, Bahrain sounded a missile alert, and a fireball erupted more than Dubai as an incoming missile was taken out by defences.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In Kuwait, an Iranian attack hit a power and desalination plant, killing one worker and injuring 10 soldiers, the state-run KUNA news agency reported.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Israel's military launched a new wave of attacks on Iran, saying it was striking "military infrastructure" across Tehran, and explosions were heard in the Iranian capital. Iranian state media reported a petrochemicals plant in Tabriz, in the north, sustained damage after an airstrike and firefighters had to put out a blaze.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY: </span></strong></em><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><em><strong><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via </span></strong></em><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Apple</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span> and </span></strong></em><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a><em></em></li><li><em><strong><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by </span></strong></em><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>ticking this box here</span></strong></em></a><em></em></li><li><em><strong><span>Sign up to </span></strong></em><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></strong></em></a><em></em></li></ul></div></div>