US President Donald Trump on Sunday issued one of his starkest warnings yet to Iran, saying he was considering “blowing everything up and taking over the oil” if Tehran failed to reach a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil shipping lane.Speaking to a Fox News journalist, Trump said, “I think there is a good chance tomorrow, they are negotiating now. If they don’t make a deal and fast, I’m considering blowing everything up and taking over the oil.”

Escalating threats amid Strait of Hormuz standoff

The president’s warning came as tensions soared in the Middle East after the war, which erupted on February 28 following US-Israeli strikes on Iran, disrupted regional stability and the global oil market. Iran has largely blocked the Strait of Hormuz and launched attacks on Israel and Gulf neighbours, prompting urgent diplomacy.Trump, who earlier celebrated the “miraculous” rescue of a seriously wounded US airman from deep inside Iranian territory, has also threatened strikes on Iran’s power plants and bridges if it does not comply. “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!!” he declared on his Truth Social platform.“Open the F*****’ Strait, you crazy b******s, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah”, he added.Iran, meanwhile, claims to have foiled the rescue attempt, distributing images of destroyed aircraft, though it has not denied that US forces successfully extracted the airman. US media reported that some transport planes involved in the operation were destroyed to prevent them falling into Iranian hands.

Regional fallout and global concern

The conflict has extended beyond Iran and the US, with attacks reported at critical infrastructure in the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait, while US diplomatic sites in Iraq were also targeted. Lebanon has increasingly been drawn in, with Israel striking southern Lebanon and southern Beirut, killing several civilians, according to news agency AFP.A strike near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant last Saturday killed a guard and prompted Russia, which partly operates the facility, to evacuate 198 workers, condemning the attack as “an evil deed”. Iranian officials warned that further attacks could produce radioactive fallout affecting Gulf capitals.Meanwhile, life in Tehran appeared largely normal despite threats and strikes, with residents seen picnicking and flying kites near iconic landmarks, highlighting the contrast between the political escalation and daily life in the city.