Trump continues pressure on Iran to make a deal

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(The Center Square) – Pressure is mounting for Iran to come to a deal and open the Strait of Hormuz, or risk destruction, despite President Donald Trump being optimistic a deal will be reached soon.

Trump confirmed the U.S. is engaging in “serious discussions” with a “new, and more reasonable regime” inside Iran in hopes of ending the month-long conflict.

In the Monday morning post, the president said “great progress is being made,” though warning the Islamic Republic that if a deal isn’t made soon and the Strait of Hormuz isn’t “immediately” opened, the U.S. will destroy all the country’s “electric generating plants, oil wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants).”

Trump argues the actions would 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.’”

The post comes as Trump told reporters Sunday evening onboard Air Force One that the ‘new regime’ is agreeing to “most” of the 15-point proposed peace plan, backing it up with Iran gifting the U.S. with several boats of oil that have passed through the Strait of Hormuz.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News that progress is being made with the Strait of Hormuz, as the Trump administration indicates U.S. or multinational control over the vital oil shipping passage linking the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

“We are seeing more and more ships go through on a daily basis…but over time, the U.S. is going to retake control of the straits, and there will be freedom of navigation, whether it is through U.S. escorts or a multinational escort,” said Bessent.

The secretary’s comments come amid reports that Iran wants to implement a steep toll for ships to pass the straits safely, a notion the Trump administration is opposed.

The president told the Financial Times that he would like to seize Iran’s oil, specifically from Kharg Island, which Trump says the U.S. could “take it very easily” amid reports thousands of ground troops could be deployed inside Iran, with the president acknowledging the U.S. possibly occupying the island.

Trump says that since Operation Epic Fury began, the U.S. has bombed 13,000 targets, with about 3,000 left.