**WASHINGTON** — President Donald Trump warned Sunday that the United States is prepared to sharply expand its military campaign against Iran’s energy infrastructure if Tehran fails to reach an acceptable agreement and restore unrestricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said Washington is engaged in “serious discussions” with what he described as a “new, and more reasonable” Iranian regime. He indicated that significant progress had been made toward a potential deal but cautioned that additional U.S. military action would follow if negotiations collapsed.
Trump specifically threatened strikes on Iranian electricity-generating facilities, oil infrastructure and Kharg Island, a critical hub for the country’s petroleum exports. He noted that desalination plants had so far been deliberately spared to preserve space for diplomacy.
The warning came as senior administration officials continued to signal that they hope to bring the conflict to a close within weeks. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that U.S. military operations could conclude in “weeks, not months,” aligning with earlier estimates that the campaign would last roughly four to seven weeks. Speaking after meetings with Group of Seven foreign ministers in France, Rubio said the administration had received messages from Iran indicating a possible willingness to negotiate.
Significant uncertainty remains, however, over who would represent Tehran and what authority any negotiating team would hold. “We’re waiting for further clarification,” Rubio said, according to the BBC.
The diplomatic push coincides with reports that the Trump administration has presented Iran with a 15-point proposal outlining terms for ending the conflict. Special envoy Steve Witkoff said he remained hopeful that negotiations could begin soon and described the proposal as potentially capable of resolving the war. Trump has previously said he paused planned attacks on Iranian power infrastructure to give talks a chance to succeed.
The conflict began on February 28 with coordinated U.S. and Israeli military operations targeting Iranian military and strategic capabilities. The fighting has resulted in the deaths of senior Iranian leaders and prompted Tehran to threaten retaliation against American and Israeli interests. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused Israel of striking nuclear facilities and industrial infrastructure and warned that Tehran would exact a heavy price. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has likewise threatened attacks on infrastructure linked to the United States and Israel, raising concerns that the conflict could widen across the region.
One of the most urgent issues remains the status of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies normally pass. The G7 has called for unrestricted navigation through the strait, while reports indicate that Iran has imposed restrictions and may be charging some vessels for passage. For Washington, reopening the waterway is now tightly linked to the broader diplomatic effort.
The coming weeks are likely to prove decisive. An agreement could open a path toward de-escalation. A collapse in talks, however, would leave the United States prepared to intensify pressure on Iran’s energy and industrial infrastructure, carrying the risk of a much wider regional crisis.
