Satellite image of Kharg Island, located in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Iran.
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US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States would “completely” destroy Iran’s power plants, oil wells and Kharg Island if the strategically important Strait of Hormuz is not reopened “immediately” and a peace deal is not reached “very soon.”
“The United States is in serious discussions with a new, more rational administration to end military operations in Iran,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
“While great progress has been made, if for some reason we are not able to reach an agreement soon (and it probably will be, and the Strait of Hormuz is not immediately “opened for business”), we will intentionally end our wonderful “sojourn” in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating the power plants, oil wells, and Kharg Island that we have not yet “touched” (and perhaps all desalination plants as well!).
His comments came as the Iran war enters its fifth week and the Trump administration is considering sending ground troops to take control of Kharg Island, a major fuel hub at the heart of Iran’s oil industry.
It is estimated that around 90% of the country’s crude oil exports pass through the Strait before tankers pass through it. The island’s loading capacity is said to be approximately 7 million barrels per day.
Iran has not yet commented on President Trump’s recent remarks. Earlier, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson reportedly said that Iran considers the proposals put forward in the 15-point plan from the US to be “excessive and unreasonable.” Iranian leaders deny direct talks with US
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has virtually stopped since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28. Iran has retaliated by targeting ships attempting to pass through the maritime corridor, with several incidents reported in recent weeks.
President Trump last week announced a 10-day moratorium on attacks on Iranian energy facilities, with the deadline pushed back to April 6.
Oil prices rose on Monday, with international benchmark Brent crude on track for its biggest monthly gain on record.
