ABOARD AIRFORCE ONE (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday night said he has “no problem” with a Russian oil tanker off the coast of Cuba delivering relief to the island, which has been brought to its knees by a U.S. oil blockade.

“We have a tanker out there. We don’t mind having somebody get a boatload because they need… they have to survive,” Trump told reporters as he flew back to Washington.

When asked if a New York Times report that the tanker would be allowed to reach Cuba was true, Trump said: “I told them, if a country wants to send some oil into Cuba right now, I have no problem whether it’s Russia or not.”

On Monday, Russia’s Transport Ministry said the oil tanker Anatoly Kolodkin arrived at the Cuban port of Matanzas carrying “humanitarian supplies” of about 730,000 barrels of oil.

Trump, whose government has come at its Caribbean adversary more aggressively than any U.S. government in recent history, has effectively cut Cuba off from key oil shipments in an effort to force regime change. The blockade has had devastating effects on the civilians Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio say they want to help, leaving many desperate.

Island-wide blackouts have roiled Cubans already grappling with years of crisis, and lack of gasoline and basic resources has crippled hospital and slashed public transport.

Experts say the anticipated shipment could produce about 180,000 barrels of diesel, enough to feed Cuba’s daily demand for nine or 10 days.

Island-wide blackouts have roiled Cubans already grappling with years of crisis, and lack of gasoline and basic resources has crippled hospital and slashed public transport.

Childbirth is often framed as a choice between two extremes: “natural” birth or medical intervention. The real challenge is making sure women can decide how they give birth, without pressure in either direction.

Debates about childbirth often focus on pressure to accept medical interventions in hospital, such as caesareans or forceps delivery. But recent NHS maternity inquiries suggest some women feel pressure in the opposite direction. They describe being discouraged from medical assistance even when they believed it would be safer, or better for them.

One healthcare professional giving evidence in the 2022 Ockenden Review, which examined preventable deaths and injuries affecting mothers and babies between 2000 and 2019, described a culture in which avoiding caesarean sections had become a source of institutional pride:

They were always very proud of their low caesarean rates … I personally found all the failed or attempted instrumental deliveries very difficult to deal with. I had never seen so many injuries … or resuscitations … Nothing to be proud of.

Evidence presented to a House of Commons inquiry into the safety of maternity services similarly found that “hundreds of women felt pressure to have a normal birth”, without medical assistance.

During my doctoral research examining childbirth narratives across several major UK maternity inquiries, I analysed thousands of women’s birth stories submitted to public investigations. Some accounts describe women who felt discouraged from receiving medical assistance even when they would have preferred it.

The natural birth movement – which emerged in the mid-20th century as a reaction against the increasing medicalisation of childbirth – advocates for minimal pain medication, midwife-led care, and avoiding caesarean sections and instrumental deliveries where possible. It was designed to encourage women to reclaim control of their bodies from a medical establishment that had, in many cases, taken that control away.

While the movement acted as an important counterweight against routinised, unnecessary interventions, that same cultural force has, in some settings, created its own pressure – one where accepting medical help feels like a failure.

When legal rights meet clinical reality

One of the most influential cases in modern medical law addressed this issue of informed choice during childbirth. In Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health NHS Trust (2015), the doctor did not warn the patient about the risks of vaginal delivery because they believed “it was not in the maternal interests for women to have caesarean sections”.

The Supreme Court rejected this reasoning. Instead, it emphasised that patients must receive clear information about risks and alternatives so they can make their own decisions about treatment.

Current Nice guidelines reinforce this principle. They stress that maternity care should support women’s choices during birth and caution against allowing personal opinions to influence the interventions that are offered.

The UK government also recently abandoned the World Health Organization recommendation that caesarean births should not exceed 20% nationally, after concerns that rigid targets were pressuring NHS Trusts to prioritise statistics over safety.

Despite these safeguards, institutional practices can still shape the choices that women feel able to make.

How pressure can shape birth decisions

Some women say these pressures reflect wider cultural narratives about childbirth. In recent years, messages celebrating “natural”, “empowered” or “positive” birth have become increasingly visible in antenatal classes, books and online communities. While these approaches are often intended to build confidence and support informed choice, some women say they can also create an environment in which accepting medical help feels like a failure, or where women worry they may be judged for being “too posh to push”.

These narratives don’t just circulate in parenting spaces or social media. They are also seen in how hospitals – intentionally or unintentionally – present different birth options to expectant parents.

This can feel particularly significant because it comes from institutions that women expect to trust. It shows how legal protections don’t always translate into everyday clinical practice.

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In some cases this influence appears in the language hospitals use to describe different birth options. Recently archived material from one hospital promoted non-medicated birth approaches by stating that “treatments are usually non-invasive and rarely cause the unpleasant or long-lasting side effects that can be associated with medication”.

Language like this is often intended to reassure patients. But it can also shape how different options are perceived, particularly when the potential drawbacks of medical interventions are emphasised more strongly than their benefits.

In other cases, the pressures are structural. Some maternity units are organised in ways that make it difficult to move quickly between midwife-led and obstetric wards. Women have described having to walk between departments while in pain and sometimes partially undressed. Situations like this illustrate how problems can arise not from individual professionals, but from how hospital systems are designed.

Finally, recent research by Birthrights, a UK charity that campaigns to protect women’s rights during pregnancy and childbirth, highlights institutional barriers to maternal request for caesarean sections. The organisation found that 113 NHS Trusts do not fully align with Nice guidance. Some policies delayed decisions until 36 weeks of pregnancy, creating uncertainty for expectant mothers.

Pressure to avoid medical intervention should be taken as seriously as pressure to undergo it. Although more than half of first-time mothers experience some form of obstetric intervention, many report feeling ashamed when this occurs.

This matters because some research has linked birth-related shame with an increased risk of suicidal thoughts among mothers, associated with an expressed sense of failure to birth “normally”. When hospital policies create additional barriers to accessing care, they may reinforce these feelings.

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Why the term ‘obstetric violence’ matters

Around the world there is growing recognition of the concept of “obstetric violence”, a term used to describe systemic harms that women may experience during childbirth. The concept highlights how these harms often arise not from malicious individuals but from institutional cultures, clinical norms and wider social expectations about motherhood.

Much of the global discussion about obstetric violence has focused on the dangers of overmedicalisation. However, similar pressures can arise when women feel discouraged from accepting medical interventions. In both situations, expectations about the “ideal” self-sacrificing mother can shape how decisions about birth are framed.

In the UK, the term “obstetric violence” is rarely used in policy or public discussion. This reluctance matters. Without language that clearly names systemic harm, it becomes harder to recognise patterns, challenge institutional norms and push for meaningful change.

Many women have positive experiences of both natural and medically assisted birth, and most maternity professionals work hard to support women’s choices. What matters most is that decisions about birth are based on balanced discussions of risks and benefits.

Recognising how pressure can operate in both directions is essential if maternity care is to genuinely support women’s autonomy during childbirth.

Essano, situated on Manchester Road, was rated zero following an inspection on October 14 last year.

However, after a more recent visit in March, the business has raised its score to a three.

The takeaway offers a range of fast food, including burgers, pizzas, kebabs, and fried chicken, which it describes as “freshly made, expertly packed, and ready for pickup or fast delivery.”

Food hygiene ratings are designed to reflect the standards found at the time of inspection.

They assess several key areas, including how food is handled, stored, and prepared, the cleanliness and condition of facilities, and how food safety is managed overall.

During inspections, officers evaluate how hygienically food is handled, the physical state of the premises, and whether appropriate food safety systems are in place.

Where serious risks are identified, authorities have the power to partially or fully close a business until improvements are made.

A rating of three indicates that a business is generally satisfactory and meets the minimum legal requirements for food safety and hygiene.

The latest rating shows a significant improvement for the Manchester Road takeaway since its previous inspection.

Good Morning Britain presenters Kate Garraway and Paul Brand spoke to the Minister for the Environment, Emma Reynolds, on Monday’s show.

Good Morning Britain viewers were left less than impressed with Kate Garraway and Paul Brand during Monday’s show.

The duo sparked backlash after challenging the Minister for the Environment, Emma Reynolds, about fuel supply concerns.

Kate, stepping in for ITV’s Susanna Reid while she’s on break, challenged the minister and was often seen interrupting and speaking over her, a move she also acknowledged.

At one point during the interview, Kate noted that Slovenia has become the first country in Europe to ration fuel.

She remarked, “Newsreaders now wearing jackets because they didn’t want to have the air conditioning on, it feels like it’s coming. What’s the government really, practically doing or can do?”

Emma remarked: “Some parts of the world are more exposed to the supply issues from the Middle East-” However, Kate could be heard shouting over her, adding: “But, why is Slovenia more exposed than we are?”

While the minister tried to continue speaking, the ITV host was heard cutting in once again mid-sentence.

Kate commented: “Sorry to keep interrupting you, but I just want to press you on this. It’s one thing to say they shouldn’t feel that, but none of us wants to feel that on our Easter holidays, but is it coming? Will they have to?”

At another point, Paul also apologised to the minister for interrupting her as she spoke about concerns about fuel demand.

It wasn’t long before people watching commented on their discussion, with some turning off due to how Kate and Paul spoke to the minister. One person said, “What a terrible interview. If I were a minister, I would refuse to come on the show.”

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Someone else added: “She’d get to the point if you didn’t keep interrupting all the bl**dy time, so annoying.” Another viewer replied: “It was an appalling interview, wasn’t it? Made me turn off.”

One person shared: “Does Kate let anyone else speak? What’s the point in asking a question and not letting the person answer it?”

Another added: “Dreadful interview, appalling.” While someone else shared: “They are being rude to her.”

Good Morning Britain is available to watch on ITV weekdays from 6am.

To say that Malta has a rich history is an understatement.

Walk the streets and clifftops of this Mediterranean archipelago and you’ll discover layers of history that go back hundreds and even thousands of years.

Below, we peel back the centuries and unveil some of the islands’ most spellbinding historic treasures.

One is the capital city, the entirety of which has been declared a Unesco World Heritage Site. Within is one of the most opulently decorated cathedrals you’ll ever set eyes on, picture-postcard townhouses and the former headquarters of the order that built the city in the 16th century — the Knights of St John.

The island’s old capital, Mdina, is similarly hypnotic, but far more tranquil – a car-free, walled city infused with thousands of years of history.

For a sense of Malta’s military struggles there are epic forts to wander, vast displays of armour to gaze at, and a citadel to visit that was a place of refuge for locals against raiding parties for hundreds of years.

Delve even deeper into the past with a visit to Malta’s ancient subterranean cemetery and megalithic temples, Unesco-listed sites predating the Pyramids that reveal how the island was once home to a remarkably advanced prehistoric society.

Valletta — the Baroque capital built by the Knights

Perched on a rocky peninsula between two natural harbors, capital-city Valletta is tiny, covering just 60 hectares, or about one-fifth the size of Central Park.

But it packs a historical punch.

Built in 1566 by the Knights of St John — who came from noble families around Europe and ruled Malta from 1530 to 1798 — the honey-colored city is laced with stunning 16th and 17th-century townhouses, many of which now house atmospheric restaurants and bars, and jammed with around 320 monuments.

One of the most important landmarks to visit is St John’s Co-Cathedral, which was built by the Knights in the 1570s.

On the outside, it’s unprepossessing, but step inside and you’ll be greeted by a riot of lavish decorations that unambiguously signal power and wealth. There are carved stone walls, floors covered with marble tombs and a beautiful, painted vaulted ceiling. The eye will also be drawn to Caravaggio’s oil-painting masterpiece, The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist.

The Grand Master’s Palace, in the heart of Valletta, is another can’t-miss landmark. This former Knights nerve-center is home to one of the world’s greatest collections of arms and armor — underscoring the order’s military prowess — and rare French tapestries.

One of the best vantage points from which to drink in the city’s splendor is the 16th-century Upper Barrakka Gardens, originally a place of repose for the Italian Knights of St John.

Great place to stay: The Barrister (rooms from $245) sits right in Valletta’s historic core and features a bijou rooftop terrace with skyline views.

Read more: Malta’s coastline is one of the Mediterranean’s most spectacular — here’s why

Mdina — Malta’s ancient ‘Silent City’

Mdina is a spellbinding journey through thousands of years of Maltese history, and a truly tranquil experience.

This incredible walled city — Malta’s old capital — dates back to the Bronze Age, after which it was ruled by the Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, and eventually the Knights of St John.

Wander its labyrinthine streets and you’ll feel the depth of that history with every step — and you’ll hear every step. Mdina, car-free and with a population of just a few hundred people, is so quiet that it’s been dubbed Malta’s “Silent City.”

One of the key photo opportunities is the city gate, which you may recognize from Game of Thrones — it was used as the entrance to King’s Landing in the hit HBO series. The stone portal was built in 1724, and with its intricate carvings, makes for a suitably theatrical entrance to the city.

St Paul’s Cathedral also delivers drama, with an elegant dome that dominates the skyline and stunning painted ceilings inside.

Don’t leave without walking the perimeter walls, which offer impressive views of the maze-like city interior and out across the surrounding patchwork fields to the Mediterranean beyond.

Great place to stay: The Xara Palace Relais & Châteaux (rooms from $320) is one of the few hotels set inside Mdina’s walls, and the converted 17th-century palazzo delivers a lost-in-time-and-space atmosphere, with antique-festooned rooms.

Read more: 10 best hotels in Malta, from Valletta to St Julian’s

Vittoriosa (Birgu) — where Malta held the line

Vittoriosa — also known as Birgu — offers further, fascinating immersion into the world of the Knights of St John, for this Lilliputian city — which sits directly across the Grand Harbour from Valletta, forming part of the so-called “Three Cities” (Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua) — was the Knights’ headquarters before Valletta existed, and helped ensure victory in the Great Siege of 1565.

The part of the city that bore the brunt of the onslaught from Ottoman forces was the formidable Fort St Angelo, which served as the nucleus of the Knights’ defense.

The fort was opened to the public in 2015, and stepping inside is an eye-opening glimpse into Malta’s military past. Interactive exhibits tell the story of the siege, and you can explore the former residence of the fort commander and see the Guva, the 16th-century oubliette accessible only by a trapdoor in the ceiling where the artist Caravaggio was held in 1608.

Stroll the ramparts for mesmerizing harbor views.

Earmark time, too, for a look around the Inquisitor’s Palace, a complex that had a dual role from the 16th to the 18th centuries as both a grand residence for Holy Roman inquisitors enforcing religious orthodoxy and a prison for accused heretics.

The streets of the city will hold you spellbound — they’re beautifully preserved and intimate.

Great place to stay: Casa Birmula Boutique Hotel (rooms from $230) is set in a restored townhouse and offers superb skyline views from its rooftop terrace and pool.

Read more: Exploring Gozo, Malta’s wilder, quieter island

Malta’s deepest history — structures that predate the pyramids

The archipelago’s history runs astonishingly deep. In fact, it’s home to seven Unesco-listed megalithic temples and an underground cemetery that are among the oldest surviving human-built structures on the planet, some of which predate the Pyramids and Stonehenge.

The society behind them was one that flourished, then suddenly collapsed. The reason why isn’t clear — some researchers believe farming and deforestation led to catastrophic soil degradation — but one thing is certain: these architectural masterpieces, built with extremely limited resources, indicate that Malta was home to an advanced prehistoric society capable of remarkable feats of engineering.

One of the most impressive monuments is Ggantija, a temple on the island of Gozo dating back to 3600-3200BC created from limestone blocks and built to a striking scale.

On Malta’s southern coast, around 1,600 feet apart on the crest of a ridge, are the similarly ancient and eye-opening temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra. Key areas of Mnajdra are illuminated by the sun during the equinoxes and solstices, indicating symbolic and astronomical understanding.

The subterranean Unesco-listed necropolis of Hal Saflieni Hypogeum — on a hill in the suburb of Paola, not far from the Grand Harbour — is an even more prized sight: because exhaled carbon dioxide damages the delicate limestone walls, only around 10 people at a time are allowed inside.

Book far in advance, up to two months if possible, to view halls, chambers and passages dug in three levels that were in use between 4000 and 1500BC.

Great place to stay: Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz (rooms from $200) on Gozo has gardens and multiple pools, and is within easy reach of Ggantija.

Read more: 11 of the best things to do in Valletta, Malta

Gozo Citadel — the island’s defensive heart for centuries

Gozo’s fairytale walled Citadel (known locally as Il-Kastell) crowns the island’s main town, Victoria (also known as Rabat), and occupies a site that’s been fortified in some way since the Bronze Age.

While today it’s largely a historic attraction (though there are a handful of residents), in the past it was a vital refuge for locals.

In fact, from the late Middle Ages until the early 17th century rural families would shelter nightly in the citadel as protection against pirate and Ottoman raids.

Take to the ramparts and it becomes clear why the citadel was so vital for defense — you can see almost the entire island.

Ground-level explorations unveil a world within a world, a maze of hushed, narrow lanes, tranquil squares and small museums, including the Gozo Museum of Archaeology, Folklore Museum, and Nature Museum.

The early 18th-century Cathedral of the Assumption is the flagship attraction, featuring a hypnotic ceiling painting that creates the illusion of a dome.

Great place to stay: Hotel Ta’ Cenc & Spa, Gozo (rooms from $260), a short drive from the citadel, is an oasis: there are gardens, pools and countryside views. And noise pollution is non-existent.

Read more: Seven Unesco sites in Europe that are worth the hype

President Donald Trump is considering whether to launch a risky military operation to seize uranium from deep inside Iran, according to US officials, in what would represent a major escalation in the war.

The American president is yet to make a final decision on the plan as the conflict in the Middle East enters its fifth week, but he is said to be open to the idea and weighing up the danger to US troops, according to the Wall Street Journal.

On Sunday, Trump told reporters that Iran must give up its highly enriched uranium for the ongoing war to end.

“They are decimated right now. They’re going to give up nuclear weapons. They’re going to give us the nuclear dust,” he said referring to the uranium.

“They’re going to do everything that we want to do. If they don’t do that, they’re not going to have a country.”

Seizing Iran’s uranium would entail a complex operation involving American troops flying to nuclear sites while under fire from Iranian forces.

Combat troops would need to secure the perimeters of the sites, supported by highly-skilled technical staff and engineers on board to extract the radioactive material. This would need to be carried in around 40 to 50 special cylinders to be transported out of the country without incident.

They would also need to assess the territory for mines and other explosive devices designed to ward off security breaches.

“It’s the job of the Pentagon to make preparations in order to give the commander-in-chief maximum optionality. It does not mean the president has made a decision,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

The Pentagon have not commented on the reports and a spokesman for US Central Command declined to comment when approached by the WSJ.

Last year, the International Atomic Energy Agency concluded that Iran has 1,000 pounds (400 kilograms) of uranium enriched at 60 per cent. Iran is also reported to have nearly 200 kilograms of 20 per cent fissile material, which can be easily converted to 90 per cent weapons-grade.

Experts say that levels that high are not required for nuclear reactors or medical reasons and could likely be for weapons.

Nuclear weapons require 90 per cent enrichment, while the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 included material that was 80 per cent enriched. A nuclear bomb could still be developed at 60 per cent but wouldn’t be deliverable by missiles.

In June 2025, Israel and the US said they had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities, but it is unclear whether the Iranian establishment transferred the material prior to the bombing or if it remains underground.

IAEA director General Rafael Grossi previously said he believes the uranium is at two of the three sites that were attacked last year including an underground tunnel at a nuclear complex in Isfahan and a cache at Natanz.

Iran is not currently enriching uranium, according to expert assessments, and had previously agreed to give up stockpiling enriched uranium as part of nuclear talks in February, according to Oman’s foreign minister.

Tehran has warned against a ground invasion and said Trump is leading US troops into “the swamp of death”.

Psycho Path at Lintz Hall Farm in Burnopfield has announced that an Airbus A330 will be the latest twist to the annual event, set to kick off on September 26.

While details about how the plane – which normally seats around 300 – will be used, the spectacle will sit alongside Psycho Path’s 11 other terror mazes.

This includes Dolls House, Crawl Space, IScream, Cutthroat Island, The Hunt, Psycho City, The Darkness and Psychotorium, which was added to the list last year.

Since it was launched in 2018, the event has grown year on year, creating more ambitious and terrifying scare attractions.  

null (Image: DANIEL HORDON)

“This is something that I have had at the back of my mind for some time and now we have managed to purchase a plane, we will be creating something that not only has never been seen in the UK before but we believe will be a world first,” director Christiano Crawford said.

Psycho Path is working with a leading company in the USA to bring the idea to life.  

Phase one tickets are already sold out, with phase two now on sale at psycho-path.co.uk 

Christiano believes that once the full details of the new attraction are known, the event will be even more in demand.  

Every year we sell out and have to add extra dates,” he said.  “This time round we’re introducing a very different kind of scare – and it will be one that nobody will want to miss.”

Psycho Path is scheduled to run until November 1 this year.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump openly mused about seizing Iran’s Kharg Island oil terminal in the Persian Gulf and the United States and Israel kept up their attacks Monday on the Islamic Republic, even as there were signs of progress in nascent ceasefire talks. Tehran, meanwhile, struck a key water and electrical plant in hard-hit Kuwait, part of its campaign targeting the Gulf Arab states.

As a diplomatic effort being facilitated by Pakistan toward ending the war moved ahead, Trump said Iran had agreed to allow 20 oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday as “a sign of respect.” At the same time, with 2,500 U.S. Marines now in the region and a similar sized contingent on its way, he raised the idea of taking Iran’s Kharg Island.

“Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t,” he told the Financial Times in an interview published early Monday. “We have a lot of options.”

Iran launches attacks on Israel and hits more infrastructure targets in Gulf states

Sirens sounded at dawn near Israel’s main nuclear research center, a part of the country that has been targeted repeatedly in recent days. Israel’s military also said it had taken out two drones launched from Yemen, where the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels entered the war on Saturday with their first missile attack.

Iran kept up the pressure on its Gulf Arab neighbors, as Saudi Arabia intercepted five missiles targeting its oil-rich Eastern province, Bahrain sounded a missile alert, and a fireball erupted over Dubai as an incoming missile was taken out by defenses.

In Kuwait, an Iranian attack hit a power and desalination plant, killing one worker and injuring 10 soldiers, the state-run KUNA news agency reported.

Desalination plants are crucial to water supplies in the Gulf Arab states, and an Iranian attack previously damaged a desalination plant in Bahrain during the war. The facilities are typically paired with power plants, because of the large amount of energy required to remove salt from the water to make it drinkable.

Israel’s military launched a new wave of attacks on Iran, saying it was striking “military infrastructure” across Tehran, and explosions were heard in the Iranian capital. Iranian state media reported a petrochemicals plant in Tabriz, in the north, sustained damage after an airstrike and firefighters had to put out a blaze.

In Lebanon, which Israel has invaded by ground, an Indonesian peacekeeper was killed and three others were wounded when a projectile exploded near a village in the south.

Over the weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military will widen its invasion, expanding the “existing security strip” in that country’s south as it targets the Iran-linked Hezbollah militant group.

Oil prices rise again as concerns of global energy crisis grow

Iran’s attacks on the energy infrastructure of the region and its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is shipped in peacetime, has sent oil prices skyrocketing and given rise to growing concerns about a global energy crisis.

In early trading, the spot price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, was around $115, up nearly 60% from when the U.S. and Israel started the war with attacks on Iran on Feb. 28.

As pressure has grown on Trump to bring an end to the conflict, the U.S. has presented Iran a 15-point plan that includes it agreeing to open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. Iran, meantime, has produced a five-point plan with its own terms, including maintaining its sovereignty over the key waterway.

Pakistan announced Sunday that it would soon host talks between the U.S. and Iran, though there was no immediate word from Washington or Tehran, and it was unclear whether discussions on the monthlong war would be direct or indirect.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar the talks would be held “in the coming days.”

Trump says diplomatic approach going well but suggests military expansion is possible

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One late Sunday that the U.S. was negotiating “directly and indirectly” with Iran, though Iran has insisted that it has not been in any talks with Washington.

“We’re doing extremely well in that negotiation but you never know with Iran because we negotiate with them and then we always have to blow them up,” Trump said.

Earlier, Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, dismissed the talks in Pakistan as a cover to get more U.S. troops into the area. He said Iranian forces were “waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional partners forever,” according to state media.

In the interview with the Financial Times, Trump suggested it could mean a longer-term commitment if the U.S. decided to try and take Kharg Island, saying “it would mean we had to be there for a while.”

“I don’t think they have any defense,” he added. “We could take it very easily.”

The U.S. already launched airstrikes once that targeted military positions on the island. Iran has threatened to launch its own ground invasion of Gulf Arab countries and mine the Persian Gulf if U.S. troops land on its territory.

To get an amphibious invasion force to Kharg would mean transiting the Strait of Hormuz and most of the Persian Gulf. Experts say that holding the island would also be a challenge, because in addition to its missiles and drones, it would be well within artillery range from the Iranian mainland.

Iran on Monday confirmed that the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s navy, Rear Adm. Alireza Tangsiri, had been killed in an Israeli airstrike, as Israel claimed last week. The Republican Guard praised the admiral’s efforts in statement, particularly in helping Iran keep its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.

“Every fighter is a Tangsiri, and we will see what surprises they will bring in the days and months ahead,” it said.

Death toll climbs

In Lebanon, officials said more than 1,200 people have been killed and more than 1 million have been displaced. Five Israeli soldiers have also lost their lives.

In Iran, authorities say more than 1,900 people have been killed, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel.

In Iraq, where Iranian-supported militia groups have entered the conflict, 80 members of the security forces have died.

In Gulf states, 20 people have been killed. Four have been killed in the occupied West Bank.

Thirteen U.S. service members have been killed in the war.

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Rising reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Darlene Superville aboard Air Force One, Giovanna Dell’Orto in Miami, Florida and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this story.