By Ryan King | NYP | Published June 11, 2026
Kharg Island. Photo by NASA – eol.jsc.nasa.gov, Public Domain, Wikipedia
President Trump warned Thursday that the US will soon take over Kharg Island, which processes about 90% of Iran’s crude oil for export, following a second day of airstrikes against the Islamic Republic.
“The United States will be hitting Iran (Whose Navy, Air Force, Radar, Anti Aircraft, and all other forms of Defense, together with most of its offensive capability, are GONE!), VERY HARD TONIGHT,” Trump announced on Truth Socia
“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, which is working out brilliantly for both Venezuela and the United States of America.”
Trump had flirted with military operations pertaining to Kharg Island earlier on during Operation Epic Fury, but refrained from dealing too much of a blow to Iran’s oil infrastructure, viewing it as important to the country’s future.
The US restarted strikes Tuesday evening after an Apache helicopter was brought down over the Strait of Hormuz by an Iranian drone.
Tehran has responded by sending missiles towards US military facilities in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait.
Both warring countries had entered a fragile cease-fire agreement on April 8. But Trump has since panned that temporary truce as “the most violated ceasefire in the history of the world” and opted to resume attacks after grumbling that Iran was “tapping us along.”
During that cease-fire while talks ensued over Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, the regime wreaked havoc in the Strait of Hormuz, scaring off tankers from traversing the critical waterway where over an estimated fifth of the world’s seaborne oil supplies once flowed through annually.
In response, Trump ordered a massive naval blockade of Iranian ships, which began on April 13, to tighten the screws on the regime.
On late Wednesday, American forces disabled its third oil tanker violating the blockade this week, which was traveling in the Gulf of Oman, according to US Central Command. That vessel repeatedly refused to adhere to US instructions, per officials.
Thus far, CENTCOM claims to have disabled nine vessels and redirected 135 ships, while permitting 42 ships pursuing humanitarian aid to pass through the blockade.
While Trump and his. team has repeatedly insisted that a deal with Iran was close, one of the main hang-ups appears to be Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, which is thought to be buried deep underground.
Iran is believed to have close to 1,000 pounds of 60% enriched uranium, which is a short technical step away from weapons-grade enrichment, which is when it gets to 90%. The Iranians had crowed about having enough 60% enriched uranium that, when fully enriched, would be enough for 11 nuclear bombs, special envoy Steve Witkoff claimed.
Tehran is also believed to possess thousands of pounds of uranium at lower enrichment levels at 20% or less. Trump claimed Wednesday that the US carried out what he called a “wildly successful” military operation to funnel millions of barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz last month.
“Today, I am pleased to announce that this effort has resulted in more than 100 MILLION Barrels of Oil making its way through the Strait, and into the Open Market,” Trump crowed on Truth Social. “More than 200 Commercial Ships have safely traveled through the Strait. This wildly successful effort is because the UNITED STATES of AMERICA CONTROLS the Strait of Hormuz — NOT Iran.”
“Their military is defeated, and their economy is lost. It’s over for Iran!”
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