- Donald Trump says he is weighing up an attack on Iranian oil hub, Kharg Island
- Meanwhile, thousands of US service members have begun arriving in the region
- Earlier, Iran warned it will set enemy troops “on fire” and “punish their regional partners forever”
- Israel launches a fresh attack on Tehran, after Netanyahu said military were expanding their offensive in Lebanon
- The price of Brent crude oil rises to more than $116 (£87.37) a barrel
US President Donald Trump has said he is considering a ground invasion of major Iranian fuel hub Kharg Island, warning he could “take the oil in Iran.”
His words came as Israel launched a new offensive on Tehran during the early hours on Monday morning.
Speaking in an interview with the Financial Times, Trump said his “favourite thing” is to “take the oil in Iran.”
“Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” he said, referring to the island where most of Iran’s oil is exported. “It would also mean we had to be there for a while.”
Thousands of US troops began arriving in Iran as the conflict entered its fifth week, despite Trump stating that both countries are attempting to negotiate a ceasefire in recent days.
His comments also came as Brent crude oil – used as the global benchmark for prices – topped $116 (£87.37) a barrel during trading early on Monday.
Earlier, Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said the country’s forces are “waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire”.
Qalibaf added: “Our firing continues. Our missiles are in place. Our determination and faith have increased.”
Meanwhile, Israel’s military upped attacks on infrastructure across Tehran on Monday morning, while Iranian strikes on a power and desalination plant killed a worker in Kuwait.
A UN peacekeeper was killed and another injured by a projectile in southern Lebanon, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon said.
Trump wants to “take the oil in Iran”
The US president has refused to rule out a land invasion on Kharg Island, Iran’s primary oil hub, where more than 94% of its exports originate.
Around 2,500 US Marines arrived in the region last week, while thousands more are on their way, as well troops from the 82nd Airborne Division.
Trump told the Financial Times on Monday the US was weighing up an attack on Kharg Island, stating that he did not think the area had “any defence”.
“We have a lot of options. It would also mean we had to be there for a while,” he said.
On Sunday evening, Trump said it had been a “big day in Iran” as he praised US military efforts.
“Many long sought after targets have been taken out and destroyed by our GREAT MILITARY, the finest and most lethal in the World. God bless you all!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Iran’s parliament speaker has warned the US against a ground invasion, threatening to set the American troops “on fire” and step up attacks on the nation’s allies, according to Iranian official media.
“Our firing continues. Our missiles are in place. Our determination and faith have increased,” Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said.
Israel attacks Iran and Lebanon
Israel began attacking Iran’s infrastructure across Tehran early on Monday morning, the country’s military said in a post on X.
Sirens could also be heard near Israel’s main nuclear research center, a part of the country that has been targeted repeatedly over the past days.
Israeli military said its air force had intercepted two drones launched from Yemen early Monday morning.
The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for launching their first attack in the current war – a missile fired at Israel, which was also intercepted – on Saturday morning.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday he had told his military to widen the invasion of southern Lebanon.
Netanyahu claimed military forces had “eliminated thousands of Hezbollah terrorists”, as well as “the immense threat of 150,000 missiles and rockets that were intended to destroy the cities of Israel”.
“I have just instructed to further expand the existing security buffer zone. We are determined to fundamentally change the situation in the north,” Netanyahu said.
Strikes on Gulf nations overnight
An Iranian attack on a power and desalination plant in Kuwait has killed an Indian worker, the nation’s state-run media said on Monday.
Authorities said power and water supplies remained constant despite the attack.
Desalination plants remain crucial to water supplies in the Gulf Arab states, and Iranian attacks already have damaged some facilities.
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