US President Donald Trump on Thursday said the United States would launch a major attack on Iran later in the day and signaled plans to take control of key Iranian oil and gas infrastructure, including Kharg Island.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the US would hit Iran “very hard tonight,” while claiming that Iran’s naval, air and air defense capabilities, along with much of its offensive military capacity, had already been eliminated.
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Trump also said that the United States would, in the near future, take control of Kharg Island and other strategic energy facilities and assume control of Iran’s oil and gas markets. He compared the proposed move to what he described as US involvement in Venezuela’s energy sector.
The remarks marked a further escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran amid continuing hostilities and ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a ceasefire and reviving negotiations.
With inputs from Al Jazeera