U.S. President Donald Trump Says U.S. Could Destroy Iran’s Power Grid “In Less Than an Afternoon”

U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States could destroy Iran’s power grid and other critical infrastructure “in less than an afternoon” if U.S.-Iran talks fail. According to Jin10, citing The Jerusalem Post, Trump said on Monday local time that negotiations between the United States and Iran were close to reaching an agreement, but that the United States would “finish the job” if the talks collapse. He said the United States had the capability to destroy Iran’s power grid, power stations, and bridges, but preferred to resolve the issue through an agreement to avoid affecting Iran’s population of 91 million. Trump reiterated that Iran must not possess nuclear weapons, said the United States would obtain Iran’s enriched nuclear material, and stressed that the goal was not to pursue regime change. He also claimed the U.S. military had destroyed all 159 Iranian vessels, as well as all Iranian aircraft and radar systems. On oil prices, Trump said prices were now lower than before the outbreak of war on a per-barrel basis. He said the U.S. military had previously escorted oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz during a blockade, maintaining global crude supply and preventing oil prices from surging to $300 to $350 per barrel.