Trump Threatens Major Escalation of Iran Attacks

The renewed attacks between the US and Iran are on track to worsen in a significant way. President Trump on Thursday said the US planned to hit Iran "VERY HARD TONIGHT," before further raising the stakes: "At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela," he wrote on Truth Social. The threat came after the two sides exchanged strikes for the second straight day, reports the AP.

Kharg Island is major oil terminal off the nation's coast, seen as the "country's economic lifeline," notes the BBC. Its seizure would not only damage Iran economically but could give the US a base from which to carry out military attacks on the mainland. However, seizing the island would likely require ground troops, reports the Wall Street Journal.