Satellite view of Kharg Island, located in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Iran.
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U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that the U.S. will “completely” obliterate Iran’s electric generating plants, oil wells and Kharg Island if the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz is not “immediately” reopened and a peace deal is not reached “shortly.”
“The United States of America is in serious discussions with A NEW, AND MORE REASONABLE, REGIME to end our Military Operations in Iran,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
“Great progress has been made but, if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately ‘Open for Business,’ we will conclude our lovely ‘stay’ in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have purposefully not yet ‘touched.'”
His comments come as the Iran war enters its fifth week and as the Trump administration weighs sending in ground forces to seize Kharg Island, a major fuel hub which serves as the centerpiece of Iran’s oil industry.
It is estimated that around 90% of the country’s crude exports pass through it before tankers then travel through the Strait of Hormuz. The island is also said to have a loading capacity of roughly 7 million barrels per day.
Iran has not yet commented on Trump’s latest remarks. Earlier in the day, a spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry reportedly said Iran deemed proposals presented in a 15-point plan from the U.S. as “excessive and unreasonable.” Iran’s leaders have denied being in direct talks with the U.S.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has virtually ground to a halt since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28. Iran has retaliated by targeting ships trying to pass through the maritime corridor, with several incidents reported in recent weeks.
Trump said last week that he would pause attacks on Iran’s energy plants for 10 days, which pushed the deadline to April 6.
Oil prices traded higher Monday, with international benchmark Brent crude on track to notch its steepest monthly rise on record.
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