United States President Donald Trump threatened to destroy Iran’s power plants and other vital infrastructure on Monday, March 31, 2026, as the one-month-old war with Iran entered a new phase of escalation, with Iranian and Hezbollah missiles striking Israel’s largest oil refinery and oil prices climbing to $115 per barrel.
The Bazan oil refinery in Haifa, northern Israel, was struck on Monday by a barrage of missiles and drones, causing a fire at the facility that emergency responders said was fully contained by evening. It was not immediately clear whether the missile that ignited the fire was fired from Iran directly or from Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon. Israeli emergency agencies reported no immediate casualties from the refinery strike.
Trump warned in an interview on Monday that widespread destruction of Iran’s energy resources and vital infrastructure would follow if a deal to end the conflict was not reached within a short time, specifically threatening power plants, oil facilities, and water infrastructure. The warning came as a 48-hour ultimatum Trump had issued to Iran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz expired Monday evening, with the waterway remaining effectively closed to most international shipping.
Despite the confrontational tone, Trump expressed optimism about the prospect of a negotiated end to the war. He told reporters that Iran had agreed to most of 15 points on a US demand list conveyed through Pakistan, adding that Tehran had offered a shipment of oil as a demonstration of good faith, though Iran’s Foreign Ministry publicly described Washington’s terms as containing unrealistic and illogical demands.
Trump also addressed the condition of Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ali Khamenei who was killed in the opening strikes of the war on February 28. “Nobody’s heard from him,” Trump said. “We think probably yes, but in extraordinarily bad shape.” Mojtaba Khamenei was elevated to the position of Supreme Leader on March 8, 2026, following his father’s death, with Iran’s top officials and military commanders pledging their allegiance to him.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has described the closure of the Strait of Hormuz as the largest oil shock in history, with as much as 20 million barrels per day of Middle Eastern supply disrupted since the war began. Brent crude has risen more than 50 percent since February 28.
The Israeli military said it had struck 170 targets in Iran over the previous 24 hours alone, including facilities linked to drone engine production and military headquarters in western Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war had passed the halfway point in terms of its stated military objectives.
Three Ghanaian peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were wounded earlier this month when their base in southern Lebanon was struck, as Israeli ground operations expanded into Lebanese territory. Lebanese health authorities say more than 1,247 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since March 2, including at least 124 children.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said additional US troops are being deployed to the Middle East to give the president maximum operational flexibility, while insisting that diplomatic channels remain open. Legal experts have warned that threatening to target civilian water infrastructure would constitute collective punishment, which is prohibited under international humanitarian law.
