WASHINGTON — President Trump warned Thursday that the US will soon take over Kharg Island, which processes about 90% of Iran’s crude oil for export, following a second day of airstrikes against the Islamic Republic.
“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,” Trump announced on Truth Social.
“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 has flirted with military operations targeting Kharg Island earlier in Operation Epic Fury, but has so far refrained from knocking out Iran’s oil industry infrastructure, viewing it as too important to the country’s future.
The US restarted strikes Tuesday evening after an Apache helicopter was brought down over the Strait of Hormuz by an Iranian drone.
Tehran has responded by sending missiles towards US military facilities in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait.
Both warring countries had entered a fragile cease-fire agreement on April 8. But Trump panned that temporary truce Wednesday night as “the most violated cease-fire in the history of the world” and opted to resume attacks after grumbling that Iran was “tapping us along.”
During that cease-fire, Tehran wreaked havoc in the Strait of Hormuz, scaring off tankers from traversing the critical waterway through which an estimated one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil supplies flowed annually.
In response, Trump ordered a US naval blockade of Iranian ships, which began on April 13, to tighten the economic screws on the theocratic regime.
Late Wednesday, American forces disabled an oil tanker attempting to break through the blockade, the third such incident this week, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).
The vessel, which was traveling in the Gulf of Oman, repeatedly refused to follow instructions transmitted by the military, per officials.
Thus far, CENTCOM claims to have disabled nine vessels and redirected 135 ships, while permitting 42 ships carrying humanitarian aid to pass through the blockade.
Trump also claimed Wednesday that the US carried out what he called a “wildly successful” military operation to funnel millions of barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz last month.
“Today, I am pleased to announce that this effort has resulted in more than 100 MILLION Barrels of Oil making its way through the Strait, and into the Open Market,” Trump crowed on Truth Social. “More than 200 Commercial Ships have safely traveled through the Strait. This wildly successful effort is because the UNITED STATES of AMERICA CONTROLS the Strait of Hormuz — NOT Iran.”
“Their military is defeated, and their economy is lost. It’s over for Iran!”
While Trump and his team has repeatedly insisted that a deal with Iran was close, one of the main hang-ups is Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, which is thought to be buried deep underground.
Iran is believed to have close to 1,000 pounds of 60% enriched uranium, a short technical step from weapons-grade enrichment.
The Iranians claimed to have enough 60% enriched uranium to manufacture 11 nuclear bombs, special envoy Steve Witkoff claimed shortly after the start of Operation Epic Fury Feb. 28.
Tehran is also believed to possess thousands of pounds of uranium at lower enrichment levels of 20% purity or less.
