Trump says US may strike Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub ‘just for fun’

Summary

Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States may carry out more strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub “just for fun”, saying that while Tehran appears ready to make a deal to end the conflict, “the terms aren’t good enough yet”. He said the US strikes had “totally demolished” most of Kharg Island, telling NBC News that “we may hit it a few more times just for fun.” During that same interview with NBC, Trump questioned, without attribution, whether Iran’s new supreme leader “is even alive”. Trump also said it’s not clear whether Iran has dropped mines in the strait of Hormuz in the 30-minute telephone call with NBC. “We’re going to be sweeping the strait very strongly, and we believe we’ll be joined by other countries who are somewhat impeded, and in some cases impeded from getting the oil,” he added. Trump’s comments come as he renewed his call Saturday for other nations to help secure the strait of Hormuz and said the US will coordinate with them amid the US-Israeli war on Iran. “The United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran, both Militarily, Economically, and in every other way, but the Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help – A LOT,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. He added that “the US will also coordinate with those Countries so that everything goes quickly, smoothly, and well. This should have always been a team effort, and now it will be – It will bring the World together toward Harmony, Security, and Everlasting Peace!” Trump’s assertion that “this should have always been a team effort” could be seen as somewhat of a pivot from his earlier stances that Operation Epic Fury was a unilateral (plus Israel) show of force that didn’t require international permission. With the current disruption of global oil supplies, it is increasingly falling onto the international community to help manage the effects. At the same time, Trump has long argued that the US pays too much to protect global trade routes (like the strait of Hormuz) that he says primarily benefit other countries like China or European nations.