What to know
- President Donald Trump threatened to blow up Iran’s energy sites if the country does not agree to a deal with the U.S. “shortly,” in a Truth Social post this morning.
- Iran denies that it’s engaged in direct negotiations with the Trump administration, as the U.S. weighs whether to send ground troops into the country. Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey met over the weekend to discuss de-escalation strategies for the region.
- Trump said he wants to “take the oil” in Iran and floated the possibility of seizing Kharg Island, which exports about 90% of the country’s oil, in an interview with the Financial Times.
- Oil prices continue to soar, despite Trump’s announcement last night that Iran had agreed to release 20 more cargo ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil passage.