Trump Threatens to Take 'Total Control' of Iran's Oil - TT

Summary

[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.] Trump Threatens to Take 'Total Control' of Iran's Oil Social Media Post Points to Kharg Island Oil Terminal Associated Press Key Takeaways: - The U.S. intensified strikes on Iran June 11 as President Donald Trump threatened further attacks and control of Iran’s oil sector, escalating regional conflict. - The conflict has disrupted global energy flows, with Iran asserting control over the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. forces targeting ships enforcing a blockade officials say. - Fighting continues with regional spillover and stalled diplomacy, as both sides exchange strikes and negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program and ceasefire remain deadlocked. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — U.S. President Donald Trump threatened June 11 to launch major strikes on Iran and seize control of its oil and gas industries as continuing attacks between the warring countries pushed the Middle East closer to the resumption of a full-scale war. Trump said in a social media post that the U.S. would hit Iran “VERY HARD TONIGHT” and would “assume total control” of Iran’s oil and gas industries, including the key Kharg Island oil terminal, in the “not too distant future.” Trump compared his plans for Iran to how the U.S. assumed control of Venezuela’s oil sector after capturing then-president Nicolás Maduro in January. The post come after the U.S and Iran traded strikes for a second straight day. The American attack, which lasted into the morning of June 11 in Iran, appeared more intense and widespread than the day before. Iran released little information on the extent of the damage and said it fired back at Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, as it had a day before. Trump’s threats on June 11, while stark, represented his latest verbal escalation in the Iran war. In April, he warned Iran that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” if it didn’t agree to his terms, before extending a ceasefire in the war. Kharg Island — located on the other side of the Persian Gulf from U.S. bases in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia — is the beating heart of Iran’s oil industry, through which 90% of its exports pass. It is important because Iran’s coastline is mostly too shallow for tanker ships to dock. American troops would be vulnerable on Kharg Island because of its close proximity — about 21 miles — to the Iranian mainland, from which missiles, drones and artillery could be fired. U.S. Military Fires on Another Merchant Ship The U.S. military continued to enforce its blockade of Iranian ports, saying June 11 it fired missiles to disable a tanker attempting to transport Iranian oil. An Indian official said a U.S. strike on a different merchant ship earlier this week killed three Indian sailors. It was the third time this week that back-and-forth strikes have rattled the Middle East. The first involved attacks between Iran and Israel, followed by the two rounds of fire between the U.S. and Iran, which hit countries in the region that host American bases. 🚫 CLAIM: Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claims that the Strait of Hormuz is closed. ✅ TRUTH: Commercial ships are continuing to transit in and out of the Strait of Hormuz tonight. pic.twitter.com/yphkl2Lmji — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 10, 2026 The new exchange of fire came as efforts to negotiate an end to the war appeared stuck, with Trump warning that Tehran would “pay the price” for stalled negotiations. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement June 11 that the U.S. attacks had “effectively rendered the ceasefire ... meaningless,” without saying it was abandoning it. Central to the negotiations is Iran’s stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, which has disrupted global energy supplies, driven up fuel prices and made food and other basics more expensive well beyond the region. Iran announced June 11 that the strait was closed — but it was unclear what that meant since it has severely restricted traffic through the waterway since early in the war and only a trickle of ships have gotten through. The U.S. military's Central Command disputed the claim — and Trump said June 10 that the U.S. has undertaken a secret mission in recent weeks to sneak ships through the passage. The two sides also remain at odds over Iran's nuclear program, which Tehran insists is peaceful but which the U.S. and Israel fear could be used to build an atomic weapon due to its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The U.S. and Israel said a major reason they went to war on Feb. 28 was to ensure that Iran would never be able to do that. Iran has insisted that any deal to end the war must also end fighting in Lebanon between its ally Hezbollah and Israel. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears intent on pursuing his goal of destroying the militant group. U.S. Strikes Iran Central Command said its latest round of airstrikes came “in response to Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression” and targeted “Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems and air defense sites.” It did not elaborate on the damage done by the strikes, which it said ended just before sunrise June 11 in Iran. PCS Software CEO Mark Hill examines what “agentic AI” means for modern fleet operations. Tune in above or by going to RoadSigns.ttnews.com. Explosions from the strikes echoed around Iran’s capital, as well as the port city of Bandar Abbas and other southern areas along the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard later said sites hit included a manufacturing complex, a military barracks and a local Guard base outside of Tehran. Kuwait closed its airspace for several hours because of the attack, but did not elaborate on any damage. Jordan said it intercepted 20 Iranian missiles fired toward an area that is home to a base hosting U.S. troops, though no one was hurt. Bahrain's Interior Ministry said an 11-year-old girl was hurt and cars and homes were damaged by debris from interceptions responding to the Iranian attack. Meanwhile, Israel warned residents in the country’s north to seek shelter after the detection of suspected incoming fire from Lebanon, where Israel is fighting the Iran-allied Hezbollah militant group. Trump Says U.S. Is Sneaking Oil Through Strait Iran's ability to control the Strait of Hormuz has proved a strong bargaining chip since the narrow waterway's effective closure has severely disrupted the global economy. Trump said June 10 that the U.S. military has undertaken a mission since last month to sneak oil shipments past Iran’s forces in the strait, 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. There was no immediate confirmation of that figure, which equals roughly five days of oil shipments through the waterway before the war began. But the seas remain dangerous for mariners. The U.S. military's Central Command said June 11 that it struck a Guinea-Bissau-flagged tanker attempting to evade the American blockade with a shipment of Iranian oil. It said Hellfire missiles were launched to disable the M/T Jalveer late June 10 after the ship's crew failed to obey U.S. orders. It's the ninth merchant vessel the U.S. military says it has disabled since imposing the blockade in mid-April in waters off Iran. Two of those ships came under U.S. fire earlier this week. Three Indian sailors were killed when American forces struck the Palau-flagged M/T Settebello on June 9, Indian Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced June 12 on X. The mariners had initially been reported missing. It is deeply unfortunate to learn of the tragic incident aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello. Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after bodies have been located and identified. This is a profound loss to our maritime family. The… — Sarbananda Sonowal (@sarbanandsonwal) June 11, 2026 U.S. Central Command said American forces issued warnings before firing on the ship, which it accused of trying to evade the blockade. The leader of the International Maritime Organization, a United Nations agency, condemned the attack. India’s foreign ministry summoned a senior U.S. diplomat to convey its “deepest concerns” over the attack and formally protest the strike, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price and Konstantin Toropin in Washington; Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi; Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Victoria Eastwood in Cairo and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed to this report.