Trump warns Iran's oil infrastructure could 'explode within 3 days' due to US blockade
In an interview with US media outlet on Sunday, US President Donald Trump has said that the Iranian leadership could reach out to him to hold negotiations, assuring Tehran that Washington has "nice, secure lines".
As the uncertainty over the ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues, US President Donald Trump has issued a fresh threat to Iran and said that its oil infrastructure could explode in around three days if the Islamic Republic is unable to continue exporting crude. His remarks come as the US continues a blockade of all Iranian ports, aiming to pressurise in accepting the peace deal.
In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, the 79-year-old Republican leader explained that if Iran fails to export its oil, it would explode "from within, both mechanically and in the earth". This, Trump said, would eventually lead to "very, very powerful" consequence.
"When you have, you know, lines of vast amounts of oil pouring through your system, if for any reason that line is closed because you can’t continue to put it into containers or ships, which has happened to them — they have no ships because of the blockade — what happens is that line explodes from within, both mechanically and in the earth," he said.
"It’s something that happens where it just explodes. And they say they only have about three days left before that happens. And when it explodes, you can never, regardless, you can never rebuild it the way it was," the US president added.
Trump also suggested that the Iranian leadership could reach out to him to hold negotiations. "If they want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us. You know, there is a telephone. We have nice, secure lines," he told Fox News.
Trump's remarks come days after he recalled a US delegation, which included his son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, which was heading to Pakistan for talks with Iran. Their trip was cancelled shortly after Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi concluded his Pakistan's visit after holding a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar and Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.
The US, as part of the peace deal, wants Iran to end its nuclear programme and open the Strait of Hormuz, which is responsible for transit of one-fifth of world's oil. Iran has called the demands "unreasonable" and claimed that the US is trying to force the peace treaty on it. Iran has also tightened its control over the Hormuz, in response to which Trump has announced a blockade of the Middle East nation.