President Trump said on Saturday that the US may bomb Iran’s Kharg Island again “for fun” and urged other countries to help the US open the Strait of Hormuz.
The president made the comments a day after the US military struck the Persian Gulf island, where most of Iran’s oil exports move through. So far, the US has spared the oil infrastructure on the island as it fears Iranian retaliatory attacks against oil infrastructure across the Gulf.
“We totally demolished Kharg Island, but we may hit it a few more times just for fun,” Trump said. “We’ve totally decimated it. Except, as you know, I didn’t do anything having to do with the energy lines, because having to rebuild that would take years.”
In posts on Truth Social, Trump issued a contradictory message, claiming that other countries are sending ships to help open the Strait of Hormuz while also asking them to do so, as his administration scrambles to deal with rising oil and gas prices. He also claimed Iran’s military capability has been “100%” destroyed, but acknowledged it still has the ability to attack ships in the strait.
“Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe. We have already destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military capability, but it’s easy for them to send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close range missile somewhere along, or in, this Waterway, no matter how badly defeated they are,” the president wrote.
“Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a Nation that has been totally decapitated,” Trump added.
A few hours later, the president made a similar post. “The United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran, both Militarily, Economically, and in every other way, but the Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help — A LOT!” he said.
For its part, Iran has said that the strait is closed unless ships have permission from Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the strait is “open to everyone, except American ships and those of its allies,” and two Indian-flagged ships safely passed through the waterway on Saturday.
