Washington, United States. U.S. President Donald Trump threatened further strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub and urged allies to deploy warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran vowed to step up its response and rejected a ceasefire unless airstrikes end.
Trump’s comments on Kharg Island and negotiations
Trump said U.S. strikes had “totally demolished” most of Kharg Island and warned further attacks could follow, telling NBC News, “We may hit it a few more times just for fun.” He said Tehran appeared ready to make a deal to end the conflict, but added that “the terms aren’t good enough yet.”
The comments marked an escalation in rhetoric from Trump, who had previously said the U.S. targeted only military sites on Kharg. Three sources familiar with the situation told Reuters that the Trump administration had rebuffed efforts by Middle Eastern allies to start negotiations aimed at ending the war.
Strait of Hormuz security and energy disruption
Tehran’s ability to stop shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a major channel for oil and gas, poses a difficult problem for the United States and its allies. Energy prices are soaring as the war causes the biggest-ever disruption in oil supply.
In a social media post on Saturday, Trump wrote that countries receiving oil through the strait “must take care of that passage,” adding that the United States would help “A LOT!” He said the United States would coordinate with those countries so that “everything goes quickly, smoothly, and well.”
Conflict enters third week
As the conflict stretched into its third week, both sides appeared to be preparing for an extended fight. Iran rejected the possibility of any ceasefire until U.S. and Israeli airstrikes end.
Iranian forces have continued their strikes. A drone attack disrupted a major United Arab Emirates energy hub on Saturday, and the United States warned U.S. citizens on Saturday to leave Iraq after a missile attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad overnight Friday.
Casualties and regional warnings
Since Israel and the United States began air attacks on Iran on February 28, the war has killed more than 2,000 people, mostly in Iran, according to reports from governments and state media. The semi-official Fars news agency said at least 15 people were killed when an airstrike hit a refrigerator and heater factory in the central Iranian city of Isfahan on Saturday.
Iran called on civilians in the UAE to evacuate ports, docks and “American hideouts,” saying U.S. forces had targeted Iran from those areas. The UAE denied that strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island overnight Friday had come from its territory.
What impact could heightened tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have on your country’s energy costs?
