President Trump warned the US will seize Kharg Island — which handles roughly 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports — and promised heavy strikes “very hard tonight” as airstrikes resumed after an Apache helicopter was downed in the Strait of Hormuz.
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 had 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 toward US military facilities in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait.
The 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.”
