UNITED STATES President Donald Trump today threatened widespread destruction of Iran’s energy resources and other vital infrastructure, including desalination plants, if a deal to end the war with Tehran is not reached “shortly.”

In a social media post, the warmongering, far-right president said “great progress is being made” in talks with Iran to end military operations. 

Mr Trump bristled that if a deal is not reached “shortly” and if the Strait of Hormuz is not immediately reopened, the US would broaden its offensive by “completely obliterating” power plants, oil wells, Kharg Island and possibly even targeting desalination plants that supply drinking water.

The strait is a crucial waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil is shipped.

In an interview with the Financial Times published today, Mr Trump said his preference would be to “take the oil in Iran” — a move that would require seizing Kharg Island — the terminal through which nearly all of Iran’s oil exports pass.

“Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t,” he continued.

Iran has threatened to launch its own ground invasion of Gulf Arab countries and mine the Persian Gulf if US troops set foot on its territory.

Mr Trump has sent thousands of marines and other US troops to the Middle East. There are reportedly more than 50,000 US military personnel in the region.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei today acknowledged Tehran had received a 15-point proposal from the Trump administration, but said there had been no direct negotiations with Washington.

Earlier, Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, dismissed the talks in Pakistan as a cover to get more US troops into the region. 

He said Iranian forces were “waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire.”

The US has twice launched attacks against Iran during diplomatic talks, including the February 28 strikes that started the illegal and unprovoked war.

On the ground, the conflict showed no sign of letting up.

Tehran struck a key water and electrical plant in Kuwait, and an oil refinery in Israel came under attack. Israel and the US launched a new wave of strikes on Iran.

Meanwhile, Spain has closed its air space to US planes involved in the Iran war, Defence Minister Margarita Robles said yesterday.

Spain had already said the US could not use jointly operated military bases in the Iran conflict, which Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has described as illegal, reckless and unjust.