US President Donald Trump has openly stated his intention to seize Iran's Kharg Island, a key oil export hub, and confiscate the country's petroleum resources, in an interview with the Financial Times. He called this plan "my favourite thing" but claimed it is opposed by "some stupid people" in the US. Trump added, "Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don't. We have a lot of options."
The Trump administration is deploying US Marines and planning to send thousands of soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East as the US-Israeli war against Iran enters its fifth week. US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the arrival of approximately 3,500 additional troops aboard the USS Tripoli. According to The Washington Post, discussions within the administration over the past month have touched upon the possible seizure of Kharg Island.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that any such attempt would be met with targeted attacks on the "vital infrastructure" of a regional country assisting in the operation. He also threatened that Iranian forces would "set on fire" US soldiers if they invade Iran. Iran's Ministry of Health reported 2,076 deaths since the war began, including 216 children.
Diplomats from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey have gathered in Islamabad in an attempt to lay the groundwork for de-escalation in a war that is upending the global economy. Oil prices surged to their highest level in nearly two weeks, with Brent crude topping $116 a barrel. Trump presented a 15-point peace plan, but Tehran rejected it, instead presenting its own conditions, including an end to US-Israeli attacks, reparations for war damage, and security guarantees.
Trump claimed that Iran agreed to allow 20 oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz "out of a sign of respect." When asked about a potential ceasefire, he replied, "We've got about 3,000 targets left – we've bombed 13,000 targets – and another couple of thousand targets to go. A deal could be made fairly quickly." He also repeated allegations that Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is injured or dead, though Tehran insists he is safe.
Source: www.aljazeera.com