Washington, United States. 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 Tehran vowed to intensify its response.
Threats of additional strikes and comments on negotiations
With the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in its third week, Trump said U.S. strikes had “totally demolished” much of Kharg Island and warned of more, telling NBC News on Saturday, “We may hit it a few more times just for fun.”
The remarks marked a sharp escalation from Trump, who had previously said the U.S. was targeting only military sites on Kharg, and undercut diplomatic efforts. His administration has rebuffed efforts by Middle Eastern allies to start negotiations, three sources told Reuters.
Trump said Tehran appeared ready to make a deal to end the conflict but that “the terms aren’t good enough yet.”
Strait of Hormuz and energy supply concerns
Tehran’s ability to halt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil passes, was described as a difficult problem for the U.S. and its allies. Energy prices were reported to be soaring as the war causes what was described as the biggest-ever disruption in oil supply, and the energy crisis was expected to continue.
“The Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help — A LOT!” Trump wrote in a social media post on Saturday. “The U.S. will also coordinate with those Countries so that everything goes quickly, smoothly, and well.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Iran would respond to any attack on its energy facilities.
Reported strikes and regional security developments
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday they had carried out missile and drone strikes on targets in Israel and three U.S. bases in the region, calling the attacks the first round of retaliation for workers killed in Iran’s industrial areas. The Israeli military said it was intercepting incoming launches.
Saudi Arabia intercepted and destroyed 10 drones in Riyadh and the east, the defense ministry said. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had no connection to the attack, semi-official Fars news agency reported.
A drone attack disrupted a major United Arab Emirates energy hub on Saturday, and the U.S. warned U.S. citizens on Saturday to leave Iraq.
How do you think the escalation could affect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz?