Welcome to the NewsHour. The war with Iran has entered its second month. And President Trump

says the onus is on Tehran to quickly agree to end the war or face the widespread destruction

of its energy resources, including its power plants and its oil hubs. But Iran remains publicly defiant,

calling U.S. demands unrealistic and continuing its attacks

on Israel and the region.

Nick Schifrin begins our coverage.

In northern Israel today, the country's largest oil refinery engulfed in smoke.

Iran is trying to punish Israel and the region with attacks on energy facilities

and a stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, which White House spokesperson Caroline

Levitt said today Iran was beginning to release.

20 additional tankers, which we expect to see over the coming days, are a result of the

direct and indirect talks that are taking place between the United States and Iran.

President Trump told the Financial Times the Strait of Hormuz Agreement was personally authorized by Iran's parliament Speaker Mohamed Bagar Galibaf. He's long been a hardliner,

who this weekend warned he would, quote, set American troops on fire. But today, President

Trump said Iran was led by a, quote, new and more reasonable regime.

He also threatened to escalate, writing, if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately opened for business,

we will conclude our lovely stay in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their

electric-generating plants, oil wells, and Karg Island.

Karg Island is about the size of New York's JFK airport and exports 90 percent of Iran's oil.

Trump told the F.T. that he would, quote, prefer to take Iran's oil by seizing the island.

Maybe we take Karg Island. Maybe we don't. We have a lot of options. It would also mean

we had to be there

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