Donald Trump announced new attacks on Iran for tonight through a post on Truth Social. The U.S. president emphasized that Washington’s goal is to seize Kharg Island and other energy facilities belonging to Tehran, “just as we did with Venezuela.”

Kharg Island, which Trump referred to, is a tiny island in the Persian Gulf that handles approximately 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports.

It is worth noting that yesterday, after the completion of U.S. strikes in southern Iran, the American president told Fox News that “if Iran does not reach an agreement with us by tomorrow (Thursday), we will turn it to dust.”

Given the warning Trump issued in his post, it is not clear whether the threat is another negotiating tactic aimed at persuading Iran to make concessions at the bargaining table.

The Republican president has repeatedly threatened to unleash overwhelming military force against Iran, only to pull back at the last moment because of potential progress in peace negotiations.

U.S. and Iran continue negotiations despite clashes and threats

Despite the ongoing military confrontation between the United States and Iran, diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement between the two countries remain underway, according to reports cited by the television networks Al Arabiya and Al Hadath.

Senior sources stated that Tehran delivered its response to a message conveyed by Pakistan’s Interior Minister as part of mediation efforts to de-escalate the crisis.

At the same time, a senior diplomatic source denied reports that talks between Washington and Tehran had reached a dead end.

“Reports that negotiations between the United States and Iran have been frozen do not reflect reality,” the source said.

Expanded role for Pakistan and Qatar

According to the same sources, Pakistan and Qatar have intensified their diplomatic initiatives in recent hours in an effort to keep communication channels open between the two sides.

The senior diplomat who spoke to the two Arab networks stressed that “negotiations for an agreement between Iran and America are continuing,” despite the military operations currently underway.

The talks are taking place as the war enters its fourth month, with the two countries having exchanged attacks multiple times even after the implementation of a temporary ceasefire.