DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) 鈥� U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Thursday to launch major strikes on Iran and seize control of its oil industry as escalating attacks between the countries pushed the Middle East closer to the resumption of a .
Trump said in a social media post that the U.S. would hit Iran 鈥淰ERY HARD TONIGHT鈥� and take 鈥渢otal control鈥� of Iran鈥檚 oil and gas industries, including the vital , in the 鈥渘ot too distant future.鈥�
The American leader’s latest threats came as efforts to negotiate an end to the war appeared stuck. Trump has voiced his frustration with the , warning earlier in the week that Tehran would 鈥減ay the price鈥� for taking too long to reach a deal.
Iran鈥檚 monthslong stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted global energy supplies, driven up fuel prices and made more expensive well beyond the region.
The U.S. and Iran traded strikes for a second straight day Thursday after reaching a tenuous ceasefire more than a month ago. While the strikes have increased tensions in the region, they have been more limited compared to the early weeks of the war and negotiations between the U.S. and Iran are ongoing.
Trump鈥檚 threats on Thursday, while stark, represented his latest verbal escalation in the Iran war. In April, he warned Iran that 鈥渁 whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again鈥� if it didn鈥檛 agree to his terms, before extending a ceasefire.
Trump weighs trying to seize Iran’s main oil terminal
Kharg Island 鈥� located on the other side of the Persian Gulf from U.S. bases in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia 鈥� is the beating heart of , through which 90% of its exports pass. It is important because Iran鈥檚 coastline is mostly too shallow for tanker ships to dock.
It was unclear how serious Trump was about his threat to seize it.
鈥淢y preference has always been to take Kharg Island,鈥� Trump said in an interview Thursday on Fox 91欧美激情. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know that America has the stomach for it to be honest.鈥�
American troops would be vulnerable on Kharg Island because of its proximity 鈥� about 33 kilometers (21 miles) 鈥� to the Iranian mainland, from which missiles, drones and artillery could be fired.
Trump indicated in the interview that he remains averse to sending U.S. forces into Iran. 鈥淲e could walk in there tomorrow. We could take soldiers 鈥� I don鈥檛 want to have boots on the ground. But if I wanted to we could put a small group of soldiers and take over the place.鈥�
Trump compared his threat to take over Iran’s oil industry to how the U.S. assumed control of Venezuela鈥檚 oil sector after capturing then-president in January.
Iran says US attacks have made ceasefire `meaningless’
Back-and-forth strikes rattled the Middle East for the third time this week. The first involved , followed by the two rounds of fire between the U.S. and Iran, which targeted countries were U.S. troops are based.
The U.S. military’s Central Command said airstrikes ending early Thursday targeted 鈥淚ranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems and air defense sites.鈥�
Explosions echoed around Iran鈥檚 capital, as well as the port city of Bandar Abbas and other southern areas along the Strait of Hormuz. Iran鈥檚 paramilitary Revolutionary Guard later said sites hit included a manufacturing complex, a military barracks and a local Guard base outside of Tehran.
Tehran said it fired back at Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.
Kuwait closed its airspace for several hours but did not report any damage. Jordan said it intercepted 20 Iranian missiles fired toward an area with a base hosting U.S. troops, though no one was hurt.
Bahrain鈥檚 Interior Ministry said an 11-year-old girl was hurt and cars and homes were damaged by debris from intercepted Iranian strikes.
Iran鈥檚 Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday that the U.S. attacks had 鈥渆ffectively rendered the ceasefire … meaningless,鈥� without saying it was abandoning it.
Tensions persist over Iran’s nuclear program, Strait of Hormuz
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a social media post that the U.S. would extract funds from frozen Iranian accounts to offset the costs of damage to American allies as well as any tolls Iran imposes on ships seeking passage through the .
Beyond the deadlock over the strait, the two sides also remain at odds over Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran insists its nuclear efforts are peaceful. The U.S. and Israel fear Tehran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium could be used to build an atomic weapon. That was a main reason they cited for going to war Feb. 28.
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 of destroying the militant group.
Iranian student says hope dwindles as attacks escalate
A 25-year-old student in northern Iran says Iranians are fearing 鈥渃haos鈥� amid the war with the U.S. and Israel and multiplying crises at home.
The student, who lives in the city of Babol, said many Iranians are struggling to afford groceries in the face of mass job losses and triple-digit food inflation. He spoke on the condition of anonymity out of security fears.
鈥淓verything is going wrong and there is no hope among the people,鈥� the student added.
The student first spoke to The Associated Press before the war when he participated in widespread anti-government protests. He now says his chief concern is that Iran 鈥渕aintain territorial integrity and deterrence鈥� in the face of attacks by the U.S. and Israel.
US fires on another merchant ship to enforce blockade
The U.S. military’s Central Command said Thursday that it struck a Guinea-Bissau-flagged tanker attempting to evade the American blockade on Iranian ports. It said the M/T Jalveer was transporting Iranian oil when it was disabled late Wednesday after its crew failed to obey U.S. orders.
It’s the ninth merchant vessel the U.S. military says it disabled to enforce the blockade.
Three Indian sailors were killed when American forces struck the Palau-flagged M/T Settebello on Tuesday, India’s minister overseeing ports and shipping said Thursday on X.
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.
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Madhani reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Will Weissert, Collin Binkley, Michelle L. Price and Konstantin Toropin in Washington; Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi; Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Victoria Eastwood and Amir-Hussein Radjy in Cairo; and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed to this report.
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