Trump Again Threatens to Target Bridges, Power Grid, and 'Jabal al-Fas'
President Donald Trump escalated pressure on Iran, threatening new strikes targeting bridges, power plants, and the “Mount Fagus” nuclear site if negotiations fail to yield an agreement, describing the U.S. position as “very strong” while simultaneously affirming that talks with Tehran are “productive.”
On Tuesday, Trump received Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, marking their eighth meeting since the U.S. president returned to office and their first since last February, prior to the joint campaign against Iran.
Sources close to the prime minister stated that “the meeting was very good and highly positive. Both sides discussed all fronts, with Iran at the forefront. They reiterated their shared commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.”
They also discussed the established partnership between Israel and the United States, as well as various opportunities in the Middle East.
Prior to the approximately 90-minute meeting, which the White House also described as “positive and productive,” Trump, in a phone interview with Fox News, rejected suggestions that he relies on Netanyahu for information regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
These comments come as the New York Post, citing an Israeli source, reported that Netanyahu intends to present intelligence to Trump indicating that Iran is expanding its activities at “Mount Fagus,” rebuilding its missile and drone programs, and not negotiating in good faith regarding its nuclear program.
In this context, the U.S. president renewed his threat to target the “Mount Picax” (Mount Fagus) site, which reports suggest houses an Iranian nuclear facility, affirming that his country “knows exactly what is happening there,” but considering the site “not a big problem.”
He added, “If they don’t reach an agreement, I will return and complete the mission, but rebuilding will take them a long time, even several years.”
The U.S. president also hinted at targeting infrastructure, stating he could destroy most Iranian bridges “in less than an hour,” adding that power plants could also be potential targets because “the hardest thing to build is a power plant, and the longest thing to build is a bridge.”
However, he said he has no desire to target desalination plants, adding, “Who would I hurt by doing that? I would hurt people, so I have no intention of doing that.”
In Tehran, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said his country had proposed to Oman a temporary arrangement to resume traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, allowing navigation in one direction through Iranian waters while part of the opposite route would also remain within Iranian waters.
He clarified on state television that Tehran rejected an Omani proposal to divide navigation routes equally between the two countries, considering such a plan would not address Tehran’s security concerns as long as long-term regional stability is not achieved.
In a related development, official media reported that the Joint Military Command warned that any company or state taking over frozen Iranian assets as compensation for damaged ships would not be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Upon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrival at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, there were no high-level official welcome ceremonies, contrary to the usual protocol for some official visits.
Notably, U.S. President Donald Trump was present at the base at roughly the same time, returning from another trip, but he did not greet Netanyahu nor meet him on the tarmac, according to the Jerusalem Post.
Furthermore, the US administration has not announced that Netanyahu was received by any senior official, nor have any photos or statements been released indicating the holding of an official reception or a red-carpet ceremony; his arrival was limited to standard protocol and security procedures.
