'Just for fun...': Trump wants to hit Iran’s Kharg Island again despite 'totally obliterated target' claims
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Just for fun...': Trump wants to hit Iran’s Kharg Island again despite 'totally obliterated target' claims")
A combination image of US President Donald Trump and Iran’s Kharg Island Photograph: (AFP PHOTO / ESA)
US President Donald Trump said Washington may strike Iran’s Kharg Island again “just for fun,” while claiming earlier attacks had demolished targets there. In an telephonic interview, he also ruled out a deal with Tehran for now
US President Donald Trump on Saturday (Mar 14) said that the United States may carry out more strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub “just for fun”. He made the statements while claiming once again that the US strikes had “totally demolished” most of Kharg Island. In a 30-minute telephonic interview to NBC News, he claimed that Tehran wants to make a deal to end the warbut he isn't ready as “the terms aren’t good enough yet.” About Kharg Island, he said, “we may hit it a few more times just for fun.” U.S. forces conducted a large-scale precision strike on Iran's Kharg Island on the night of March 13. Iran has threatened to reduce US-linked oil facilities in the region to a "pile of ashes." After the strike on Kharg Island, Trump said that the US had “totally obliterated every military target” on the island.
Where is Kharg Island and why is it important?
Kharg Island is a small coral and rocky island, that falls under Iran's Bushehr Province. It is situated in the northern part of the Persian Gulf and functions as the country’s main oil export hub. Often referred to as Iran’s “crown jewel,” Kharg Island ships out roughly 90–95 per cent of the nation’s crude oil. The oil terminal here has the capacity to load around 7 million barrels per day and can service up to ten supertankers at once. The revenue generated from oil exported through Kharg Island is estimated at around $78 billion each year, making it a crucial financial pillar for the Iranian state.
The island hosts facilities linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including missile storage areas, naval mine depots, and air defence installations.
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Trump rules out possibility of deal for now
In the same interview, the POTUS ruled out any possibility of talks with the Iranians after claiming that Iran wants to make a deal. He also raised doubts about the wellbeing of Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, while also saying that reports of his death is a rumour. Trump said, “Iran wants to make a deal, and I don’t want to make it because the terms aren’t good enough yet.” He explained that the agreement would need to be “very solid” for Americans to agree with it.
About the health of new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Trump said, “I don’t know if he’s even alive. So far, nobody’s been able to show him. I’m hearing he’s not alive, and if he is, he should do something very smart for his country, and that’s surrender.” However, within minutes the US president described reports of his death as “a rumour.” Days after stating that he has three good options for the future ruler of Iran, he hinted the same on Saturday, but did not reveal any names. "We have people that are living that would be great leaders for the future of the country,” Trump said.
(Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.)
