President Donald Trump issued one of his most explicit ultimatums yet toward Iran on Sunday, threatening via Truth Social to destroy the country’s power grid, oil infrastructure, and strategic island of Kharg if a peace deal is not reached “shortly” — while simultaneously describing negotiations as going extremely well with what he characterized as a new Iranian leadership.

In the post — shared simultaneously from his @realDonaldTrump and @POTUS accounts — Trump declared the United States is engaged in “serious discussions with a new, and more reasonable, regime” to bring a formal end to ongoing U.S. military operations in Iran. The statement marks a significant escalation in his public rhetoric, directly naming civilian infrastructure targets the U.S. military has deliberately avoided striking to date.

What Trump Is Threatening — The Targets

The post explicitly identifies infrastructure the U.S. has, in Trump’s words, “purposefully not yet touched” — and warns all of it would be destroyed in a closing military campaign if talks fail.

The threat to desalination plants — marked in the post with a parenthetical “and possibly” — drew immediate attention from analysts, as such facilities supply drinking water to large civilian populations. The Islamic Republic of Iran relies heavily on desalination capacity in its southern and coastal regions.

Talks With a ‘New Regime’ — What Trump Is Claiming

Trump’s framing of negotiations is striking: he refers explicitly to a “new and more reasonable regime” in Tehran — language consistent with his earlier Air Force One remarks in which he stated Iran had “already undergone regime change” following the devastation of U.S. and Israeli military strikes, including the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One earlier this week, Trump had described negotiations as going “extremely well,” claimed a ceasefire deal “could be reached soon,” and referenced a 15-point U.S. proposal sent to Tehran, saying Iran had accepted “most of the points” — including, most significantly, a pledge to forgo nuclear weapons entirely. Read FFN’s full background: U.S.-Iran Conflict Coverage.

The Hormuz Ultimatum

A central condition in Trump’s Truth Social post is the immediate opening of the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply passes. Iran has at various points threatened to close or has disrupted traffic through the strait as leverage in the conflict.

Trump’s post makes clear: if the strait is not “immediately ‘Open for Business,'” it will constitute grounds to proceed with the full destruction of Iran’s energy and water infrastructure. Markets and shipping analysts have closely watched the strait throughout the conflict, with oil prices remaining volatile amid ongoing uncertainty over transit security.

Reaction and What Comes Next

There was no immediate formal response from Iranian officials at time of publication. Iran has previously denied being in direct negotiations with Washington, though envoys including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have reportedly been involved in back-channel communications. Iran’s interim leadership council — operating following Khamenei’s death — has not publicly confirmed or denied the existence of the “new regime” Trump references.

Analysts note that Trump’s post reflects his characteristic dual-track approach: escalatory public pressure combined with a stated openness to diplomacy. The qualifier “probably” — as in, a deal will “probably” be reached — underscores the fragility of the moment. No formal ceasefire has been announced. No binding agreement has been reached. And the military campaign continues.

For context on the internal fractures within Iran’s leadership that may be shaping how Tehran responds, see FFN’s exclusive: Iran’s Regime Fractures — President Clashes With IRGC as Economy Teeters on Collapse.