Trump says US forces destroyed military targets on Iranian island handling oil exports | US-Israel war on Iran

Donald Trump said on Friday that US forces had “destroyed” military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island and warned that the next step could be oil infrastructure there.

“For literary reasons, I have chosen not to destroy the Oil Infrastructure on the Island,” Trump wrote on social media. “However, if Iran or anyone else does anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision.”

According to reports in the Iranian media, a few hours after Trump’s statement, the Iranian armed forces said that any attack on Iran’s oil and energy infrastructure would also lead to attacks on the energy infrastructure owned by oil companies cooperating with the USA in the region.

The small island in the Persian Gulf is the main terminal through which Iran’s oil exports pass. Until Friday, the island had been liberated during US and Israeli attacks on Iran.

Just a day ago, the speaker of Iran’s parliament said such an attack would lead to new retaliation. In a social media post on Thursday, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf warned that attacks on the islands along Iran’s southern sea border would cause Iran to “abandon all restrictions” and underlined how central they are to the country’s economy and security.

Trump announced the action as he prepared to fly to Florida over the weekend. The president answered questions from reporters traveling with him before boarding Air Force One, but did not mention the latest US military operation against Iran.

axios reported Last week, administration officials were considering taking over the 5-mile-long atoll.

Experts told the Guardian earlier this week that military operations against Kharg Island would likely increase oil prices, which have already been high since the war began on February 28.

“We could see the $120 a barrel price we saw on Monday move towards $150 if Kharg is attacked,” said Neil Quilliam of the Chatham House think tank. “It is very vital for global energy markets.”

The American military has ordered 2,500 sailors and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli to the Middle East, a U.S. official told The Associated Press early Friday.

Marine Expeditionary Units can conduct amphibious landings but also specialize in enhancing security at embassies, evacuating civilians, and disaster relief. Deployment does not necessarily mean that a ground operation is imminent or will occur.

The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, Tripoli, and other amphibious assault ships carrying Marines are based in Japan and have been in the Pacific Ocean for several days, according to images released by the military. Tripoli was detected by commercial satellites sailing alone near Taiwan, indicating that Tripoli was more than a week away from waters off the coast of Iran.

At the beginning of the week, the navy had 12 ships operating in the Arabian Sea, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and eight destroyers. If Tripoli joins this fleet, it will be the second largest ship in the region after Lincoln.

Associated Press and Reuters contributed reporting