Will Hit Iran “Very Hard” Tonight, Take Venezuela-Like Control Of Its Oil: Trump

US President Donald Trump on Thursday warned that the US will continue its attacks on Iran for the third night in a row, pushing the ceasefire to the brink.

Taking to his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said, “The United States will be hitting Iran (whose Navy, Air Force, Radar, Anti-Aircraft, and all other forms of Defence, together with most of its offensive capability, are GONE!), VERY HARD TONIGHT.”

This latest threat comes on the heels of a similar warning issued by the US president yesterday.

Trump also said that the United States will at some point take Iran’s Kharg Island, an economic lifeline for Iran and handles roughly 90 per cent of the country’s crude exports.

“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 said.

US Military Confirms Strikes For Second Consecutive Day

The United States military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed on Wednesday that it had carried out what it described as “additional self-defence strikes” against multiple targets inside Iran, marking the second day in a row that such operations had taken place.

Local media in Iran reported that air defence systems were activated across several parts of the country, with explosions heard in western Tehran, Fars province, Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, Kish, Minab, and parts of central Isfahan.

Iran Hits Back, Targeting US Bases In Kuwait And Bahrain

In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had struck American military installations in Kuwait and Bahrain. In a statement carried by state-run news agency IRNA, the Guards said they had hit 18 targets at the Ali and Ahmad Ahmad Air Force bases “during two waves of operations” and had also “hit and destroyed Sheikh Isa air bases”.

The current exchange of fire began after CENTCOM said it had conducted “self-defence strikes” following the shooting down of a US Army Apache helicopter on Tuesday. That incident shattered a ceasefire that had been holding since 8 April, drawing both sides into a fresh cycle of retaliation.

Qatar Steps In As Diplomats Seek A Way Out

As the two sides continue to exchange blows, regional actors have been working to find a diplomatic off-ramp. A Qatari delegation travelled to Tehran for talks with Iranian officials, CNN reported. The negotiations, which were conducted in coordination with the United States, continued into the early hours of Thursday morning local time, according to a source cited by CNN.