Trump Warns of Strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island Oil Hub if No Deal Reached
U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Iran, saying Washington could target the country’s key oil export hub, Kharg Island, along with other energy infrastructure if a negotiated end to the war is not agreed soon.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday, Trump said the United States was engaged in “serious discussions” with what he called a “more reasonable regime” in Tehran. However, he added that if a deal is not reached quickly and the Strait of Hormuz does not reopen to shipping, the U.S. could destroy Iran’s oil wells, power plants and the Kharg Island facilities — which have so far been untouched.
Kharg Island, located about 24 kilometres off Iran’s southern coast in the Persian Gulf, is central to the country’s oil exports and economy, handling the vast majority of its crude shipments.
Trump’s comments follow an interview in which he suggested that U.S. forces might seize control of the island’s oil infrastructure. He also said there were roughly 3,000 potential targets in Iran that the U.S. “would still like to hit,” though he maintained that a deal could be reached “fairly quickly.”
The Iranian government has denied that direct negotiations with Washington are underway. A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry acknowledged receiving a 15-point proposal from the U.S. but said no direct talks have taken place. Meanwhile, Iran’s parliament speaker dismissed recent meetings as a cover for expanding U.S. military presence in the region.
Tensions have already led to military actions, with the U.S. carrying out airstrikes against Iranian military positions near Kharg. Iran, for its part, has threatened to respond with ground operations in the Gulf and to mine the Strait of Hormuz if U.S. forces enter Iranian territory.
Analysts say any attempt to hold Kharg Island would be difficult, as it lies within artillery and missile range of the Iranian mainland, even as the region braces for potential impacts on global oil markets.
