The US president warned that Washington could launch additional attacks on Iran’s Kharg Island after claiming earlier strikes had “totally demolished” several military targets.
Trump urged oil-importing countries to deploy warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route that carries nearly 40% of global oil shipments.
Tehran has rejected ceasefire talks and launched ballistic missiles and drones toward the UAE, while warning that US-linked facilities in the region are “legitimate targets”.
US President Donald Trump has threatened further strikes against Iran’s Kharg Island, an oil export hub. Trump has also urged allies to send warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz, which has been under a near-complete shutdown since the war erupted. The geopolitical tensions in West Asia show no signs of easing in the near term and have been rattling global markets.
Trump said the US military strikes had “totally demolished” most of Kharg Island and warned that more could follow. “We may hit it a few more times just for fun,” Trump told NBC News. When asked about conflict resolution with Tehran, he said “the terms aren’t good enough yet.”
2 March 2026
Get the latest issue of Outlook Business
The US said it had targeted military, not energy industry, facilities on the island. The US Central Command said it hit more than 90 sites on Kharg, including naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and other military targets. Iran’s defence ministry on Saturday said that nine ballistic missiles and 33 drones were launched from Iran towards the UAE.
A report by Reuters stated that the Trump administration had undercut diplomatic efforts, with his team already rebuffing attempts by West Asian allies to begin negotiations for peace.
“The countries of the world that receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help — a lot!” Trump wrote in a social media post on Saturday. “The U.S. will also coordinate with those countries so that everything goes quickly, smoothly, and well.” The Strait of Hormuz is a vital route for global trade, accounting for nearly 40% of world shipments.
On the other hand, Iran has projected defiance and rejected the possibility of any ceasefire until the US and Israeli airstrikes end, the report said. Iran’s attacks have extended farther into the region, with a drone strike disrupting a major UAE energy hub on Saturday. The war has taken nearly 2,000 lives, mostly in Iran, since the beginning of the conflict. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has urged all US industries to move out of the region and said any facility associated with the US is a “legitimate target.”
