Donald Trump once again tightened his tone against Iran on Monday by threatening to « completely wipe out » the island of Kharg if the ongoing discussions with Tehran do not succeed quickly and if the Strait of Ormuz is not « immediately open to business ». The U.S. president posted this message on Truth Social, saying that the U.S. was conducting « serious discussions » with a « new, more reasonable regime. »
In his message, Donald Trump wrote that « huge progress » had been made, but he added that if no agreement were reached quickly, Washington could end his « loving stay » in Iran by « exploding and completely destroying » power plants, oil wells and Kharg Island. He also mentioned in the same publication the possibility of targeting « perhaps all desalination plants ».
The US President explicitly linked two conditions: the rapid success of the discussions with Tehran and the reopening of the Strait of Ormuz. His message marked a new verbal level, when he had already mentioned earlier the possibility for the United States to take control of Kharg Island. The Associated Press reports that it also raised this idea in an interview published on Monday by theFinancial Times« Maybe we’re taking the island of Kharg, maybe not. We have a lot of options. »
Kharg Island occupies a central position in the Iranian oil system. It is presented by the Associated Press as Iran’s main oil terminal in the Persian Gulf. It is this strategic role that explains that it is now directly cited by Donald Trump as a potential target in case of failure of discussions.
The US President’s remarks speak as the White House continues to alternate diplomatic openings and military threats. At the same time, Donald Trump claims that an agreement could be reached soon, while maintaining the pressure on Tehran around Ormuz and Iran’s energy infrastructure.
