President Donald Trump said the United States would be hitting Iran “VERY HARD TONIGHT”, while also declaring that Washington intends to take control of Iran’s Kharg Island and other key oil infrastructure sites.
The announcement was made in a post on his Truth Social platform amid escalating military exchanges between the two countries.
Trump said Iran’s naval, air, radar and air defense capabilities, along with much of its offensive military capacity, were “GONE!” and added that the United States would eventually “assume total control” of Iran’s oil and gas markets.
Trump’s remarks came after the US military confirmed attacks against multiple targets in Iran, describing the operations as acts of self-defense.
Iranian media reported strikes in several locations, including Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, Sirik, Minab and Karaj.
In a separate interview with Fox News, Trump said he would prefer to take Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub, and indicated that further US military action could follow.
He said future attacks would be “bigger” and “more powerful”, while adding that he would prefer not to target bridges and power plants.
The latest developments follow several days of military escalation between Washington and Tehran, raising concerns that the confrontation could intensify further.
Iranian officials strongly condemned the US attacks and said the strikes had effectively rendered a ceasefire meaningless.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi described the attacks as “a widespread and utter nullification of the ceasefire” and rejected US claims that the operations were conducted in self-defense.
He said Iran’s armed forces would defend the country and warned that the consequences of the attacks would fall on the United States and any parties assisting it.
Iranian media also reported retaliatory strikes by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps against US forces in the region, including in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.
Meanwhile, Iran’s military ordered the complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz to all vessels.
Iranian officials signaled that any further escalation would be met with what they described as a decisive response.
Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for Iran’s parliamentary national security commission, said it was the United States that “must surrender” in the conflict.