Trump says US will ‘be taking’ Kharg Island in latest Iran war threat

What Happened

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the United States would strike Iran “VERY HARD TONIGHT” and “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.” The threats came after two days of exchanged strikes that have imperiled ceasefire negotiations. Iranian media reported that recent US strikes targeted the port city of Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, and the towns of Sirik, Minab, and Karaj west of Tehran. Iran claimed to have attacked US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, and announced the full closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the latest US strikes. Trump also accused Iran of downing a US helicopter in the strait on Monday. Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned that “wrong strategies and impulsive decisions will reset the entire board for the worse, explode energy infrastructure and markets and create an endless quagmire,” while Iran’s foreign ministry said the US strikes had rendered the ongoing pause in fighting “practically meaningless.” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent vowed that any damage Iran “inflicts on our allies in the Gulf will be paid for with funds extracted” from approximately $100bn in frozen Iranian assets globally. US CENTCOM announced it had disabled three oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman amid a blockade of Iranian ports, with India calling for an end to attacks after three Indian crew members were killed.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The brinkmanship over Kharg Island—which processes 90% of Iran’s crude exports—and the Strait of Hormuz closure risk a full-scale military conflict that could disrupt global energy supplies. Trump’s alternating between aggressive threats and diplomatic overtures reflects a strategy of maximum pressure aimed at extracting concessions on Iran’s nuclear programme, regional posture, and frozen assets, but it also threatens to collapse ceasefire talks and ignite a broader regional war involving US allies and Iranian proxies.

Watch For

Monitor Trump’s next military actions, particularly any attempted seizure of Kharg Island or further strikes on Iranian oil infrastructure, as well as Iran’s retaliation and the status of the Strait of Hormuz. Watch for official statements from ceasefire mediators, the IAEA on nuclear inspections, and reactions from Gulf allies and India, which may escalate demands for de-escalation after civilian casualties. The trajectory of US-Iran backchannel talks and any announcements on the release of frozen funds or revisions to the JCPOA framework will be critical.