Trump Mulls Seizing Iran's Kharg Island Oil Terminal Even As Talks Show Progress

U.S. President Donald Trump openly mused astir seizing Iran’s Kharg Island lipid terminal successful nan Persian Gulf and nan United States and Israel kept up their attacks Monday connected nan Islamic Republic, moreover arsenic location were signs of advancement successful nascent ceasefire talks. Tehran, meanwhile, struck a cardinal h2o and electrical works successful hard-hit Kuwait, portion of its run targeting nan Gulf Arab states.

As a negotiated effort being facilitated by Pakistan toward ending nan warfare moved ahead, Trump said Iran had agreed to let 20 lipid tankers done nan Strait of Hormuz starting Monday arsenic “a motion of respect.” At nan aforesaid time, pinch 2,500 U.S. Marines now successful nan region and a akin sized contingent connected its way, he raised nan thought of taking Iran's Kharg Island.

“Maybe we return Kharg Island, possibly we don't,” he told nan Financial Times successful an question and reply published early Monday. “We person a batch of options.”

Iran launches attacks connected Israel and hits much infrastructure targets successful Gulf states

Sirens sounded astatine dawn adjacent Israel's main atomic investigation center, a portion of nan state that has been targeted many times successful caller days. Israel's subject besides said it had taken retired 2 drones launched from Yemen, wherever nan Iranian-backed Houthi rebels entered nan warfare connected Saturday pinch its first rocket attack.

Iran kept up nan unit connected its Gulf Arab neighbors, arsenic Saudi Arabia intercepted 5 missiles targeting its oil-rich Eastern province, Bahrain sounded a rocket alert, and a fireball erupted complete Dubai arsenic an incoming rocket was taken retired by defenses.

In Kuwait, an Iranian onslaught deed a powerfulness and desalination plant, sidesplitting 1 worker and injuring 10 soldiers, nan state-run KUNA news agency reported.

Desalination plants are important to h2o supplies successful nan Gulf Arab states, and an Iranian onslaught antecedently damaged a desalination works successful Bahrain during nan war. The accommodation are typically paired pinch powerfulness plants, because of nan ample magnitude of power required to region brackish from nan h2o to make it drinkable.

Israel’s subject launched a caller activity of attacks connected Iran, saying it was striking “military infrastructure” crossed Tehran, and explosions were heard successful nan Iranian capital. Iranian authorities media reported a petrochemicals works successful Tabriz, successful nan north, sustained harm aft an airstrike and firefighters had to put retired a blaze.

In Lebanon, which Israel has invaded by ground, an Indonesian peacekeeper was killed and 3 others were wounded erstwhile a projectile exploded adjacent a colony successful nan south.

Over nan weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said nan subject will widen its invasion, expanding nan “existing information strip” successful that country’s southbound arsenic it targets nan Iran-linked Hezbollah militant group.

Oil prices emergence again arsenic concerns of world power situation turn

Iran's attacks connected nan power infrastructure of nan region and its stranglehold connected nan Strait of Hormuz, done which a 5th of nan world's lipid is shipped successful peacetime, has sent lipid prices skyrocketing and fixed emergence to increasing concerns astir a world power crisis.

In early trading, nan spot value of Brent crude oil, nan world standard, was astir $115, up astir 60% from erstwhile nan U.S. and Israel started nan warfare pinch attacks connected Iran connected Feb. 28.

As unit has grown connected Trump to bring an extremity to nan conflict, nan U.S. has presented Iran a 15-point scheme that includes it agreeing to unfastened nan Strait of Hormuz to shipping. Iran, meantime, has produced a five-point scheme pinch its ain terms, including maintaining its sovereignty complete nan cardinal waterway.

Pakistan announced Sunday that it would soon big talks betwixt nan U.S. and Iran, though location was nary contiguous connection from Washington aliases Tehran, and it was unclear whether discussions connected nan monthlong warfare would beryllium nonstop aliases indirect.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar nan talks would beryllium held "in nan coming days.”

Trump says negotiated attack going good but suggests subject description is imaginable

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One precocious Sunday that nan U.S. was negotiating “directly and indirectly” pinch Iran, though Iran has insisted that it has not been successful immoderate talks pinch Washington.

"We’re doing highly good successful that speech but you ne'er cognize pinch Iran because we discuss pinch them and past we ever person to rustle them up,” Trump said.

Earlier, Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, dismissed nan talks successful Pakistan arsenic a screen to get much U.S. troops into nan area. He said Iranian forces were “waiting for nan presence of American troops connected nan crushed to group them connected occurrence and punish their location partners forever,” according to authorities media.

In nan question and reply pinch nan Financial Times, Trump suggested it could mean a longer-term committedness if nan U.S. decided to effort and return Kharg Island, saying “it would mean we had to beryllium location for a while.”

“I don’t deliberation they person immoderate defense," he added. "We could return it very easily.”

The U.S. already launched airstrikes erstwhile that targeted subject positions connected nan island. Iran has threatened to motorboat its ain crushed penetration of Gulf Arab countries and excavation nan Persian Gulf if U.S. troops onshore connected its territory.

To get an amphibious penetration unit to Kharg would mean transiting nan Strait of Hormuz and astir of nan Persian Gulf. Experts opportunity that holding nan land would besides beryllium a challenge, because successful summation to its missiles and drones, it would beryllium good wrong artillery scope from nan Iranian mainland.

Death toll climbs

In Lebanon, officials said much than 1,200 group person been killed and much than 1 cardinal person been displaced. Five Israeli soldiers person besides mislaid their lives.

In Iran, authorities opportunity much than 1,900 group person been killed, while 19 person been reported dormant successful Israel.

In Iraq, wherever Iranian-supported militia groups person entered nan conflict, 80 members of nan information forces person died.

In Gulf states, 20 group person been killed. Four person been killed successful nan occupied West Bank.

Thirteen U.S. work members person been killed successful nan war.

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Rising reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Darlene Superville aboard Air Force One, Giovanna Dell'Orto successful Miami, Florida and Munir Ahmed successful Islamabad contributed to this story.