Trump threatens to strike Iranian oil facilities if Strait of Hormuz is closed

Washington - US President Donald Trump has threatened to attack oil infrastructure on Kharg Island, Iran, should freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz be obstructed.

“I have chosen NOT to destroy the oil infrastructure on that island. However, if Iran, or anyone else, does something to disrupt the freedom and security of maritime passage through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump described a potential US air strike on the island in operations against Iran as “one of the strongest bombing attacks in Middle East history.”

On 28 February, the United States and Israel launched strikes against targets in Iran, including Tehran, causing damage, civilian casualties, and resulting in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which was subsequently answered by Iranian attacks on Israeli territory and US military facilities in the Middle East.

The escalation of tensions surrounding Iran has led to a de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the primary route for oil and liquefied natural gas shipments from Persian Gulf nations to global markets, thereby affecting export levels and oil production in the region.

Iran’s Armed Forces have reiterated that they control the strategically important Strait of Hormuz and will not permit either the United States or nations involved in recent strikes against Iran to transit the waterway.

“Without doubt or negligence whatsoever, the Strait of Hormuz is under the wise management of the brave naval forces of the Revolutionary Guards. The American aggressor and its allies have no right to transit here,” stated the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the unit responsible for overseeing military operations, on Thursday.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical maritime routes for global energy shipments.