Latest Trump warns Iran energy sites face destruction without quick deal

Dubai, Mar 30 (AP) US President Donald Trump on Monday 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.”
     The war has already threatened global supplies of oil and natural gas, sparked fertiliser shortages and disrupted air travel. Iran's grip on the strategic Strait of Hormuz has shaken markets and prices.
     Trump's latest threat also mentions Iran's Kharg Island oil export hub, which he suggested US troops could seize in an interview with the Financial Times published early Monday. Iran has threatened to mine the Persian Gulf if its territory is invaded.
     The United States and Israel kept up their attacks on Monday while Iran struck a key water and electrical plant in Kuwait, part of its ongoing campaign targeting the Gulf Arab states, and an oil refinery in Israel came under fire.
     Israel has invaded southern Lebanon to expel the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, which has been firing rockets and drones across the border, in what Israeli leaders suggest could be another extended occupation of that country. The invasion, along with aerial bombardment of wide swathes of the country, has displaced more than a million Lebanese people.
    
     Here is the latest:
    
     Rubio says the Iranian leadership is fracturing under US-Israeli attacks
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     US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Iran's leadership is fracturing under the month-long US-Israeli war and that negotiations are possible with a new generation of Iranian leaders. But, he said, the US military buildup around Iran in the Middle East will continue as a backstop.
     In an interview with ABC's “Good Morning America” on Monday, Rubio said the Trump administration is aware of competing voices within Iran's government pitting hard-liners against those who might be willing to negotiate a resolution to end the war. He declined to say who the dissenting voices were, saying it would be dangerous for them to be publicly identified.
     “There's some fractures going on there internally,” Rubio said. “If there are new people now in charge who have a more reasonable vision of the future, that would be good news for us, for them, for the entire world. But we also have to be prepared for the possibility, maybe even the probability, that that is not the case. So we're going to test it.”
    
     Kuwait summons Iraqi envoy over militant attacks
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     The summons was to protest attacks by militant groups operating from Iraqi territory, Kuwait's Foreign Ministry said on X, demanding Baghdad take steps to stop them.
     Kuwait said it has the right to respond to threats against its security and sovereignty.
     Iraq has struggled to rein in Iran-backed Iraqi militias that have launched attacks throughout the war. In a letter last week, Kuwait and other Arab states urged Baghdad to prevent such groups from operating in Iraqi territory.
     Iraq's Foreign Ministry has said it is addressing “security challenges” and rejects allowing its territory to be used to attack others, without directly addressing the allegations.
    
     Starmer urges a joint response by government and industry to the Iran war fallout
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     British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's comments came after a meeting on Monday with the leaders of energy, shipping and banking firms, and as Trump has threatened to seize Iran's Kharg Island, a crucial facility for oil exports.
     “This is going to have to be a joint effort,'' Starmer said at the start of the meeting. “The government can't do it on its own.''
     The talks involved representatives from U.K.-based energy giants Shell and BP, global shipping provider Maersk, maritime insurance specialist Lloyd's of London and international banks HSBC and Goldman Sachs.
    
     Young Iranian says Trump's threats to destroy civilian infrastructure are terrifying'
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     A 22-year-old resident of Karaj, a city just west of Iran's capital, said his area lost power for several hours overnight following nearby strikes.
     “I was really scared. I thought that they'd hit the power plants and that we are not going to have power anymore,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity out of security fears.
     He said he'd already packed a go-bag with documents, chargers, a laptop and wads of cash in case “bank servers go down.” Power returned around 1 a.m. Monday.
     He and his friends have scant information about the war, he said, amid Iran's blanket internet shutdown. “I am really confused. I don't know what to feel or what to think.”
     He added that security checkpoints are common in his area. “They search the car, they check the trunk, they ask for your ID, and they send you on your way.”
    
     The Czech Republic plans to release 100,000 metric tons of oil from state reserves
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     The measure will take effect on Wednesday. The oil will be provided on loan, with refiners required to return it.
     The move is due to limited supplies the country receives through the Italian TAL pipeline, which continues as the IKL pipeline through Germany and serves the Czech Republic.
     The amount represents about 10 per cent of reserves intended to cover 90 days of consumption.
    
     1,247 killed in Lebanon in the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah
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     Lebanon's Health Ministry says 3,680 others have been wounded.
     Eighty-seven of those killed were women, 124 children and 52 were medical workers.
     More than one million people have been displaced.
    
     As bombs fall on Tehran, Iranians face the security forces' threats
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     A resident of northern Tehran, in his 50s, has described both widening damage from US-Israeli strikes, as well as facing threats from security forces.
     “There have been a lot of explosions,” he said, referring to his neighbourhood. He said the local police station had been destroyed, and a relative had to leave her apartment elsewhere in the capital after a nearby strike blew out its doors and windows.
     He said that on the night of the Persian New Year in late March, he and his neighbours shouted anti-government chants from their windows and balconies, and that nearby security forces responded by firing warning shots in the air.
     Security forces have issued multiple warnings that they will shoot anyone who attempts anti-government demonstrations.
     The resident was reached by The Associated Press after he crossed the border out of Iran into Turkiye. He spoke on condition of anonymity for his and his family's safety, saying he planned to return after a few months.
    
     NATO defences intercept fourth missile fired toward Turkiye
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     NATO air defences have intercepted a fourth ballistic missile fired from Iran, Turkiye's defence ministry said.
     A ministry statement said the missile entered Turkish airspace on Monday and was “neutralised” by NATO air and missile defence units deployed in the eastern Mediterranean.
     “All necessary measures are being taken decisively and without hesitation against any threat directed at our country's territory and airspace,” the ministry said.
     Earlier this month, NATO deployed two Patriot missile defence systems to Turkiye to bolster its air defences.
    
     G-7 governments monitoring fallout from the Iran war
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     Finance and energy officials from the Group of Seven rich democracies said Monday they're “closely monitoring” the impact of the Iran war but announced no new measures after an online meeting.
     The officials said they welcomed the March 11 decision by energy-consuming countries to release 400 million barrels of oil from their strategic reserves, and added they “continue to closely monitor developments and their potential impact on global growth, and financial market conditions.”
     The meeting brought together G-7 finance ministers, energy ministers and central bank governors for the first time in that constellation, said French Finance Minister Roland Lescure. France has this year's rotating G-7 presidency.
     The central banks are also “closely monitoring” the impact of higher oil prices caused by the war on inflation. The statement made no reference to the direction of central bank interest rates, other than to say monetary policy would depend on incoming data about the economy.
     The G-7 are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K. and the US
    
     Funeral procession held for three Ohio airmen
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     Three Ohio airmen killed in Iraq were honoured with a large funeral procession Sunday from Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base near Columbus.
     Two F-16 fighter planes and a KC-135 refuelling tanker flew overhead in the missing man formation as family members, friends and supporters lined the streets after the dignified arrival of Master Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28; Capt. Curtis Angst, 30, and Capt. Seth Koval, 38.
     Motorcycles rumbled along the route as onlookers waved American flags and shed tears.
     The three airmen were part of the six-member air crew aboard an Air Force refuelling aircraft killed in Iraq on March 12 as part of Operation Epic Fury. The plane crashed over friendly territory in western Iraq while supporting operations against Iran. Simmons, Angst and Koval were members of the 121st Air Refuelling Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard.
    
     Saudi Arabia intercepts two drones
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     The Saudi defence ministry said Monday on X that it detected and destroyed two drones in the past hours as Iran continues its air attacks on Gulf countries.
    
     Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb kills 1 and wounds 17
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     Lebanon's Health Ministry says those wounded in the Monday morning strike were 10 Lebanese, six Syrians and a woman from Kenya.
     It added that the six Syrians included four children. (AP) SKS
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)