As thousands of U.S. troops and marines deploy to the Middle East, Iran accuses Washington of secretly planning a ground attack while publicly promoting ceasefire negotiations. Donald Trump has threatened to “destroy” Iran’s energy infrastructure, stated that he would “prefer to take the oil,” and suggested that U.S. forces could capture the country’s export hub on Kharg Island, all while claiming to be negotiating with a new “reasonable regime.” At the same time, Yemen’s Houthi forces have joined the conflict, raising the risk of further disruptions to the global economy.