PALM BEACH, Florida/DUBAI/JERUSALEM: US 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, an artery for global energy supplies, as Tehran vowed to intensify its response.
With the US-Israeli war on Iran in its third week, Trump said US strikes had “totally demolished” much of the 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 US 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.
War, energy crisis look set to persist
The war showed no sign of ending. Trump said Tehran appeared ready to make a deal to end the conflict but that “the terms aren’t good enough yet.”
