President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric against Iran Monday, threatening to destroy the country's energy infrastructure if negotiations collapse and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to international shipping.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said the U.S. is in "serious discussions with a new, and more reasonable, regime" to end military operations in the region, but warned that if a deal is not reached quickly, the U.S. would conclude its presence in Iran by "blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island, and possibly all desalinization plants."

The threat follows comments Trump made to the Financial Times Sunday night, where he said his "preference would be to take the oil" as he weighs whether to seize Iran's key fuel export hub at Kharg Island.

Global markets responded immediately. Brent crude crossed $116 a barrel Monday following his remarks, as investors braced for potential disruption to one of the world's most critical oil shipping lanes.

The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow waterway through which roughly 20 percent of the world's oil supply passes. Any disruption to it would send shockwaves through energy markets worldwide, with Black and working-class communities historically among the hardest hit by gas price spikes.

Trump framed the threats as leverage in ongoing negotiations, suggesting a deal is likely but not guaranteed. Whether Iran's government, which he referred to as a "new, more reasonable regime," is prepared to move at the speed the president is demanding remains to be seen.