
NBC News
Mar 30, 2026
Trump threatens Iran's energy and water if deal isn't reached soon; Tehran calls U.S. plan 'unrealistic'
The president said "great progress" was being made in talks, though Tehran contradicted this.
What to know
TRUMP THREATENS IRAN'S WATER, ENERGY: President Donald Trump threatened the destruction of Iran's civilian energy and water infrastructure if a deal to end the war and reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz is not reached soon. "Great progress has been made" in talks, he claimed, though Tehran said U.S. proposals were “unrealistic” and “unreasonable.”
TRUMP WANTS IRAN'S OIL: Trump said earlier that his “preference would be to take the oil” in Iran and that he is considering seizing its crucial Kharg Island export hub. Iran warned it is ready and “waiting” for a ground invasion as thousands more U.S. troops arrived in the region.
OIL PRICES RISE: Oil was around $115 a barrel this morning, up nearly 60% from the start of the war a month ago and the highest level since the conflict started.
ISRAEL EXPANDS LEBANON INVASION: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his military will widen its ground campaign in southern Lebanon. Israel says it wants a "security zone" to halt the threat from Iran-backed Hezbollah, but its intensifying operation has raised fears that the area could face a similar fate to Gaza.
DEATH TOLL: More than 3,000 people have been killed across the Middle East as the war enters its fifth week. In Iran, Israeli and American strikes have killed more than 1,900 people, according to the country’s deputy health minister. At least 1,200 people have been killed in Lebanon, and 18 have died in Israel. Thirteen U.S. service members have been killed, and two more died of noncombat causes.
