President Donald Trump pretends to aim a sniper gun while speaking with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)
President Trump says the US will hit Iran “very hard tonight,” threatens takeover of Kharg Island and oil market.
By David Rosenberg, World Israel News
President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States would launch major strikes on Iran later in the day and threatened to take control of Kharg Island and other Iranian oil infrastructure, sharply escalating the confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
Trump made the threat in a Truth Social post as US-Iran tensions continued to rise after several nights of American strikes and Iranian attacks in the Gulf region.
“The United States will be hitting Iran (Whose Navy, Air Force, Radar, Anti Aircraft, and all other forms of Defense, together with most its offensive capability, are GONE!), VERY HARD TONIGHT,” Trump wrote.
“At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela, which is working out brilliantly for both Venezuela and the United States of America.”
The post marked one of Trump’s most explicit threats to seize Iranian energy assets since the conflict intensified.
Kharg Island, located in the northern Persian Gulf, is Iran’s main crude oil export terminal and has long been viewed as one of the country’s most strategically important energy sites.
Trump’s statement came after the US and Iran exchanged strikes overnight, placing a two-month ceasefire under new strain.
The president’s comments also echoed his administration’s policy toward Venezuela, where US officials have said Washington needs to control oil sales and revenues to stabilize the country and ensure it acts in line with American interests.
Reuters reported earlier this year that the Trump administration moved to control Venezuelan oil revenues after US forces captured and removed President Nicolas Maduro in January.
Kharg Island has been a recurring focus of US military planning and public threats during the conflict with Iran.
The Council on Foreign Relations has described the island as responsible for handling roughly 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports, while CSIS said a strike on Kharg Island and its supply lines would target the hub for nearly all of Iran’s export volume.
Trump had previously said US forces struck military targets on Kharg Island but avoided destroying the oil infrastructure. His latest post went further, saying the US would eventually take the island and “assume total control” of Iran’s oil and gas markets.
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