US President threatens Iran with strikes and oil seizure
Shafaq News- Washington
US President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States would strike Iran “very hard tonight” and move to take control of the country's oil and gas infrastructure, in remarks posted to his Truth Social.
“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,” Trump wrote.
Kharg Island, located in the northern Persian Gulf, handles the overwhelming majority of Iran's crude oil exports and is among the most strategically significant energy facilities in the Middle East.
Read more: Opinion: US strike on Iran’s Kharg Island may send oil prices soaring
A day earlier, Trump warned of further military action against Iran. Hours later, the United States launched a new round of strikes, prompting a response from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which said it had fired 12 ballistic missiles at Al-Azraq Air Base in Jordan, claiming damage to facilities and aircraft stationed there. The IRGC also reported strikes on 18 US military targets at Kuwait's Ali Al-Salem and Ahmad Al-Jaber air bases, as well as Bahrain's Sheikh Isa Air Base.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent cautioned that Tehran would face increasing financial penalties for any attacks on US allies in the Gulf. Losses stemming from damage to regional partners or disruptions to maritime traffic, he stressed, would be recovered through funds linked to Iranian accounts.
The Iranian regime will lose the zero-sum game it is playing.Any damage it inflicts on our allies in the Gulf will be paid for with funds extracted from Iranian Accounts.Any tolls paid to the Persian Gulf Strait Authority will be offset by funds extracted from their accounts.…
— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) June 11, 2026
Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al-Zayani noted in press statements that more than 36 Iranian drones struck Bahrain on Thursday morning, warning that developments in the Middle East were taking a “dangerous direction.” He reaffirmed Manama's support for international de-escalation efforts and called for an immediate halt to the cycle of attacks.
Kuwait's Ministry of Defense separately announced that its air defenses had intercepted 24 Iranian drones over the preceding 48 hours, adding that the attacks caused limited material damage with no casualties recorded.
بيان رقم (66)صرّح المتحدث الرسمي لوزارة الدفاع، العقيد الركن سعود عبدالعزيز العطوان،بأن القوات المسلحة رصدت وتعاملت خلال الـ(48) ساعة الماضية مع عدد (24) طائرة مسيّرة معادية داخل المجال الجوي الكويتي، وتم التعامل معها وفق الإجراءات المتبعة.ونتج عن العدوان الإيراني الآثم… pic.twitter.com/f4iWPYGt7s
— KUWAIT ARMY - الجيش الكويتي (@KuwaitArmyGHQ) June 11, 2026
Read more: Trump’s balancing act with Iran tests diplomacy and deterrence
