The U.S. President threatened to strike Iran "VERY HARD TONIGHT" and declared Washington would seize Kharg Island and assume total control of Iran's oil and gas markets, deepening fears of a prolonged energy supply disruption.

Key Highlights

  • Kharg Island seizure threatened: Trump stated the U.S. would seize Kharg Island, Iran's primary crude export hub handling roughly 90% of its oil shipments, "at some point in the not too distant future."
  • New strikes ordered: U.S. Central Command launched a second consecutive day of self-defense strikes on Iranian surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, and air defense sites.
  • Hormuz fully closed: Iran's IRGC declared the Strait of Hormuz completely closed to all commercial vessels in retaliation, threatening to fire on any ship attempting transit.
  • Iran strikes back: Tehran launched ballistic missiles and drone attacks against U.S. military bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan for a second successive day.

U.S. President Donald Trump issued his most direct threat yet against Iran's energy infrastructure on Thursday, warning via Truth Social that the United States would strike Iran "VERY HARD TONIGHT" and would eventually seize Kharg Island, the country's central crude oil export terminal. Trump stated the U.S. would assume "total control" of Iran's oil and gas markets, drawing a comparison to Washington's actions in Venezuela.

The statements came as U.S. Central Command confirmed it had launched a second consecutive round of airstrikes against multiple Iranian targets, describing the operation as "self-defense" following Iran's downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter the previous day. The strikes targeted Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems, and air defense infrastructure across multiple sites including areas near Tehran, Bandar Abbas, and positions along the southern coast near the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran responded by launching ballistic missiles and drone attacks against U.S. military facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan for a second successive day. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it struck 18 targets across the region, including the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and air bases in Kuwait. Kuwait closed its airspace for several hours following the Iranian strikes. Jordan said it intercepted 20 Iranian missiles fired at a base hosting U.S. troops without casualties. Bahrain reported limited structural damage from intercepted projectiles.

Iran's IRGC subsequently declared the Strait of Hormuz completely closed to all commercial vessels, warning that any ship attempting transit would come under fire. The Strait handles approximately 20% of global oil supply.

Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes as rendering the ceasefire framework "practically meaningless," though it stopped short of formally abandoning the truce. Trump told reporters that U.S. forces had covertly escorted more than 100 million barrels of oil through the Strait, crediting the effort with preventing a sharper crude price spike. A U.S.-drafted peace proposal presented to Tehran in late May, requiring the Strait's reopening and a nuclear framework, remains unsigned.