US President Donald Trump has threatened to hit Iran "very hard tonight" and said the military will be "taking Kharg Island" and other Iranian oil infrastructure points "in the not too distant future," according to a Truth Social post on Thursday.
The threats come after two days of strikes between the US and Iran, jeopardizing ongoing negotiations for a lasting ceasefire. Trump has alternated between bellicose threats and diplomatic overtures in recent weeks, pledging that "a whole civilization will die" just hours before a pause in fighting was agreed on April 8.
"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 wrote. He added that the US would "assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets," referencing the abduction of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
Kharg Island, known as the "Forbidden Island" due to strict military control, processes 90% of Iran's crude exports. In a Fox News interview, Trump said taking the island has always been his "preference" but added, "I don't know that America has the stomach for it."
Iran's foreign ministry said the latest US strikes rendered the ceasefire "practically meaningless." Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi described the attacks as "a widespread and utter nullification of the ceasefire." Recent US strikes targeted Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, and towns near Tehran, according to Iranian media.
Iran has attacked US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, and Trump accused Iran of downing a US helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. Following US strikes, Iran announced the full closure of the strait, a key waterway and Tehran's main leverage in the conflict.
US officials have signaled a deal is close but offered few specifics on nuclear program disputes, control of the Strait of Hormuz, or frozen Iranian funds. Analysts say the Trump administration is constrained by the political imperative to secure better terms than the 2015 JCPOA, from which Trump withdrew in 2018.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent vowed that any damage Iran "inflicts on our allies in the Gulf will be paid for with funds extracted" from Iran's frozen assets, estimated at $100 billion globally.
Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett said Trump appears to be using military pressure and inflammatory language to push Iran toward a deal, mixing "public threats with what he believes is still possible, and that is diplomacy at the barrel of a gun."
Abas Aslani, a senior research fellow at the Centre for Middle East Strategic Studies, said the Trump administration "wants to escalate in order to create leverage at the negotiating table to pressure Tehran to make concessions." Iran, meanwhile, is focused on "restoring deterrence against additional attacks."
US CENTCOM also announced it disabled three oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman amid its blockade of Iranian ports. India called on the US to cease attacks, saying three Indian crew members were killed in one US strike on a vessel.
Source: www.aljazeera.com