US President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened further military action against Iran and vowed to take “total control” of the country’s key oil and gas infrastructure, signalling a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict with the Islamic Republic.
The Republican leader also drew parallels with Venezuela, where he claimed the US had taken control of the country’s oil industry following the removal of former President Nicolás Maduro earlier this year during Operation
“The United States will be hitting Iran (Whose Navy, Air Force, Radar, Anti Aircraft, and all other forms of Defense, together with most of its offensive capability, are GONE!), VERY HARD TONIGHT. At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela, which is working out brilliantly for both Venezuela and the United States of America,” Trump said on Truth Social.
did not provide details on how the US would take control of oil terminals, though any such move would likely require the deployment of American ground forces.
Located off Iran’s Gulf coast northwest of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, Kharg Island is the backbone of Iran’s oil export network and a vital pillar of the country’s economy. The island handles the vast majority of Iran’s crude oil exports.
He had previously raised the possibility of seizing Kharg Island earlier in the US-Iran conflict, which began on February 28.
US-Iran tensions
Iran on Thursday stated that the fragile ceasefire in the three-month-long Middle East conflict had become “practically meaningless” after fresh US strikes prompted Tehran to launch retaliatory attacks across the region, according to AFP.
In a second consecutive day of exchanges, the US targeted surveillance, communication and air defence installations, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM). In response, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had carried out a “punitive operation” against a US military base in Jordan, while several Gulf countries reported incoming projectiles.
Despite the renewed violence, mediators Pakistan and Qatar indicated that behind-the-scenes efforts to broker an end to the conflict were continuing. However, Islamabad acknowledged that the latest escalation made it difficult to remain optimistic.
The attacks occurred as a Qatari delegation was in Tehran for negotiations. AFP report citing a diplomatic source who mentioned the talks continued into the early hours of the morning and were being conducted in coordination with the US.
Trump, who had continuously claimed that negotiations with Tehran were nearing a breakthrough, said on Wednesday that Iran had been “playing us for suckers” and warned that it would now “have to pay the price”.
A few hours later, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that American forces had launched strikes in Iran early Thursday and subsequently confirmed that the operation had concluded.
Iranian media reported explosions in several southern regions of the country, while at least three people were injured in Tehran province.
Meanwhile, Jordan said its forces intercepted 20 Iranian missiles, and Kuwait stated that its air defence systems had engaged what it described as hostile aerial targets.
Bahrain, which hosts a US naval base, mentioned that an 11-year-old girl sustained minor injuries and that several homes and vehicles were hit in what authorities called “sinful Iranian aggression”.
