Donald Trump Signals More Attacks on Kharg Island

DUBAI: US President Donald Trump warned more strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island oil export terminal and asked allies to send warships to safeguard the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global energy supplies, as Tehran pledged to step up its reaction.

Donald Trump Says More Kharg Island Strikes Possible

With the US-Israeli war on Iran into its third week, Trump told NBC News on Saturday that US strikes had “totally demolished” much of the island and threatened of more, saying, “We may hit it a few more times just for fun.”

The remarks constituted a significant escalation from Trump, who had previously stated that the US was exclusively striking military installations on Kharg, and damaged diplomatic efforts. Three sources told Reuters that his administration has rejected Middle Eastern friends’ attempts to begin negotiations.

War and energy crisis look sure to remain.

The war showed no signs of ending. Trump stated that Tehran is willing to strike a deal to stop the fight, but the parameters are not yet acceptable.

Iran’s ability to block shipping via the Strait of Hormuz, which transports a fifth of the world’s oil, creates a challenge for the US and its allies. Energy prices are skyrocketing as the conflict produces the largest disruption in oil supplies in history, and the energy crisis appears to be far from over.

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Trump posted on social media on Saturday, saying, “We will help — A LOT! The Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage.” “To ensure that everything proceeds swiftly, smoothly, and successfully, the United States will also coordinate with those countries.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, stated that Iran would respond to any attack on its oil facilities.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched missile and drone strikes on Israel and three US outposts in the region on Sunday, citing worker deaths in Iranian industrial sectors as the reason for the attacks. The Israeli military announced that it was intercepting inbound missiles.

Saudi Arabia intercepted and destroyed 10 drones in Riyadh and the east, according to its defence ministry. According to the semi-official Fars news agency, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have denied any involvement in the incident.

On Saturday, a drone attack crippled a major energy hub in the UAE, while the US ordered citizens to flee Iraq.

According to accounts from governments and official media, the war begun by President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 28 has killed nearly 2,000 people, the majority of whom are in Iran. An airstrike destroyed a refrigerator and heater business in Isfahan, central Iran, killing at least 15, according to the semi-official Fars news agency on Saturday.

No immediate takers for Trump’s Hormuz request.

Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, requested China, France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and others to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz. None of those countries provided any immediate indication that they would do so.

Takayuki Kobayashi, Japan’s governing party policy leader, would not rule out the idea, but told public station NHK that “the (legal) threshold is very high.”

Japan considers its pacifist postwar constitution as allowing it to deploy its military if the country’s life is threatened, but the government would have to trigger an unused 2015 security bill.

France is looking to form a coalition to safeguard the Strait of Hormuz once the security situation has stabilised, while Britain is examining a variety of measures with partners to assure shipping security, according to sources.

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader who succeeded his late father, has stated that the Strait of Hormuz should remain closed.