US President Donald Trump on Thursday said the United States would hit Iran “very hard tonight,” threatening to “assume total control” of Iran’s oil and gas industries, including the key Kharg Island, in the “not too distant future.”
"The United States will be hitting Iran (Whose Navy, Air Force, Radar, Anti Aircraft, and all other forms of Defense, together with most of its offensive capability, are GONE! ), VERY HARD TONIGHT," he said in a post on Truth Social.
"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," it added.
Also read: Iran warns Mideast truce 'practically meaningless' after US strikes
The post come after the Washington and Tehran traded strikes for a second day, pushing the Middle East closer to the resumption of a full-scale war.
The new exchange of fire came as efforts to negotiate an end to the US-Iran war appeared stuck, with Trump warning that Tehran would “pay the price” for stalled negotiations. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement earlier that the American attacks had “effectively rendered the ceasefire ... meaningless,” without saying it was abandoning it.
US to not hit bridges, power plants
Trump noted the US will attack Iran again with intensified strikes on Thursday night but he would rather not hit bridges and power plants.
"There will be more bombing tonight. It will be bigger - bigger, more powerful...I'd rather not hit bridges and power plants. People would not be able to drink water, I don't want to do that," he said in an interview on Fox News.
He emphasised that he would like to take over the country's oil infrastructure hub Kharg Island but he is not sure Americans are has the appetite for it.
"We are talking to them, and all, but you know, look, my preference has always been - take Kharg Island ... my preference would be that. I don't know that America has the stomach for it," he said.
Despite plans for more strikes, Trump said the US is still talking with Iran to reach a deal.
Trump says US is sneaking oil through Strait of Hormuz
Trump said Wednesday that the US military has undertaken a mission since last month to sneak oil shipments past Iran’s forces in the Strait of Hormuz, aided by the destruction of Iranian radar equipment.
Trump said as a result more than 100 million barrels of oil have evaded Iran’s chokehold.
Earlier this week, the US President suggested that an agreement with Iran could be close — but the exchanges of fire have called that into question, and big differences remain between the two nations.
The US demands Iran to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Tehran is refusing to give up the uranium and is demanding relief from sanctions. It also demands the release of frozen assets even before a final agreement is in place, something Trump rejected.
Iran has further insisted that any deal to end the war must also end fighting between its ally Hezbollah and Israel.
