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Trump threatens to strike Iran’s Kharg Island oil network if shipping lanes remain blocked

Trump told reporters on Friday the U.S. Navy will “soon” start escorting tankers through the waterway.

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U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to order strikes on the petroleum infrastructure of Iran’s Kharg Island oil hub unless Tehran stopped attacking vessels in the vital Strait of Hormuz, a warning that could further roil markets already coping with a historic disruption in ​supply, Reuters reported.

Trump paired his ultimatum with a social media post saying the United States had “totally obliterated” military targets on the island, the export terminal for 90% of Iran’s oil shipments, which lies about 300 miles (483 km) ‌northwest of the strait.

U.S. strikes did not target Kharg’s oil infrastructure, but “should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision,” Trump wrote.

Iran had no ability to defend against U.S. attacks, the president added. “Iran’s Military, and all others involved with this Terrorist Regime, would be wise to lay down their arms, and save what’s left of their country, which isn’t much!” he posted on Truth Social.

Iran’s armed forces responded on Saturday by saying ​any strike on their country’s oil and energy infrastructure would lead to strikes on facilities owned by oil companies cooperating with the United States in the region, Iranian media reported.

Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency ​reported, citing sources, that more than 15 explosions were heard on Kharg Island during the U.S. attacks. The sources said the attacks targeted air defenses, a naval base, and ⁠airport facilities, but caused no damage to oil infrastructure.

Markets were watching for any sign that U.S. strikes had damaged the island’s intricate network of pipelines, terminals and storage tanks. Even minor disruptions could further tighten global supply, adding ​pressure to an already volatile market.

In other strikes across the region, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said early Saturday that it had carried out additional attacks on Israel with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported.

On Friday, the Israeli military said its air ​force had struck more than 200 targets in western and central Iran over the past day, including ballistic missile launchers, air-defence systems and weapons production sites.

U.S. forces have suffered casualties. The U.S. military on Friday confirmed that all six crew members aboard a refuelling aircraft that crashed in western Iraq were dead, read the report.

Five U.S. Air Force tankers at a base in Saudi Arabia had been damaged by an Iranian missile strike and were being repaired, reported The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials.

Oil prices have swung sharply on ​Trump’s changing comments about the likely duration of the war, which began on February 28 with massive U.S. and Israeli bombardments of Iran and quickly spread into a regional conflict with broad consequences for worldwide energy and stock markets.

Lebanon became ​an escalating flashpoint in the war with Israel’s military and Hezbollah forces exchanging strikes in and around Beirut.

In addition to Iran’s missile and aerial drone attacks on Israel and Gulf state allies of the U.S., Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has sought to ‌disrupt shipping ⁠through the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for 20% of the world’s fossil energy supplies.

Trump told reporters on Friday the U.S. Navy will “soon” start escorting tankers through the waterway.

Although he has previously said the war would last only weeks, Trump on Friday declined to publicly project an end date for the conflict.

“I can’t tell you that,” he said to reporters. “I mean, I have my own idea, but what good does it do? It’ll be as long as it’s necessary.”

Iran continued to export crude oil while other producers in the Gulf halted their shipments for fear of Iranian attacks.

Multiple very large crude oil tankers were loading at Kharg on Wednesday, according to satellite imagery reviewed by TankerTrackers.com. Iran exported between 1.1 million barrels ​per day and 1.5 million bpd from February 28 ​to Wednesday.

Bob McNally, president of Rapidan Energy Group, said ⁠Trump’s comments on Friday “will focus the market’s mind on pathways that this energy disruption, already history’s largest, could expand and last longer.”

Some energy industry observers expressed doubts that Kharg’s oil facilities would stay intact.

“Bombing Kharg Island but not the oil infrastructure is like going to McDonald’s and getting a hamburger with no meat,” said Josh Young, chief investment officer ​at Bison Interests. “What’s the point?”

Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, in his first public comments on Thursday, vowed to keep the Strait of ​Hormuz shut and urged neighbouring ⁠countries to close U.S. bases on their territory or risk being attacked themselves.

European powers are trying to work out how to defend their interests, and France has been consulting with European, Asian and Gulf Arab states over the past week with a view to putting together a plan for warships eventually to escort tankers through the strait, French officials said.

After nearly two weeks of war, 2,000 people have been killed, most in Iran, but many in Lebanon and a growing number in the Gulf, which has ⁠for the first ​time in decades of Middle East conflicts found itself on the front line.

Several million people have been displaced from their homes. As Israeli warplanes ​pounded Beirut’s suburbs with air strikes, Lebanon’s interior minister said authorities were unable to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of people who have sought refuge in the capital.

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Pakistan PM welcomes US-Iran ceasefire extension

Trump announced ​an extension ⁠of the ceasefire to give negotiations more time, ⁠until ​Iran submits a ​proposal.

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Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday ​thanked U.S. President Donald ‌Trump for accepting the country’s request to extend ​the ceasefire in the ​U.S.-Israeli war on Iran ⁠to allow ongoing diplomatic ​efforts to take their ​course.

“I sincerely hope that both sides will continue to observe ​the ceasefire and ​be able to conclude a comprehensive ‘Peace ‌Deal’ ⁠during the second round of talks scheduled at Islamabad for a permanent ​end ​to ⁠the conflict,” Sharif said in post ​on X.

Trump announced ​an extension ⁠of the ceasefire to give negotiations more time, ⁠until ​Iran submits a ​proposal.

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Trump warns of renewed strikes on Iran if talks fail, signals no ceasefire extension

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U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that the United States could resume military strikes on Iran if ongoing diplomatic efforts fail, while indicating there is little appetite in Washington to extend the current ceasefire.

Speaking in an interview with CNBC, Trump said he expects Tehran to participate in a new round of talks expected to be held in Islamabad, adding that the United States holds a strong negotiating position.

“I think we’re going to end up with a great deal,” he said. “I think we’re in a very strong negotiating position.”

However, the U.S. president struck a hard line when asked about the possibility of extending the temporary truce, saying time was limited and suggesting Washington is prepared to escalate if necessary.

“I don’t want to do that. We don’t have that much time,” Trump said, before warning that military action remains on the table if an agreement is not reached.

“I expect to be bombing because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with. But we’re ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go,” he added.

Fragile diplomacy amid conflicting signals

Trump’s remarks come as uncertainty surrounds planned talks between U.S. and Iranian representatives, reportedly facilitated by Pakistan.

While Washington has indicated readiness to proceed, Iranian officials have publicly denied sending any delegation and reiterated that negotiations will not take place under threat or pressure.

Senior Iranian figures, including parliamentary leadership, have stressed that Tehran’s participation depends on a shift in U.S. policy, particularly the lifting of what they describe as coercive measures.

The diplomatic push follows a short-term ceasefire brokered earlier this month to halt escalating tensions between the two sides. The truce is due to expire in the coming days, raising concerns that hostilities could resume if no breakthrough is achieved.

Analysts say Trump’s refusal to consider an extension of the ceasefire reduces the already narrow window for diplomacy and increases the risk of renewed confrontation.

Pakistan has been attempting to mediate between the two sides, hosting initial indirect contacts and seeking to bring both parties back to the negotiating table. However, with positions hardening in both Washington and Tehran, the prospects for a deal remain uncertain.

The situation underscores the volatility of the region, where diplomatic efforts are racing against time to prevent a return to open conflict.

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JD Vance expected in Pakistan for talks despite uncertainty over Iran’s participation

Preparations for the meeting are said to be underway, with reports indicating that several US military aircraft have already arrived in Pakistan in connection with the arrangements for the delegation.

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US Vice President JD Vance is expected to arrive in Islamabad on Wednesday to lead the second round of indirect talks involving Iran, according to sources close to the mediation process cited by Al Jazeera, amid growing uncertainty over whether the Iranian side will participate.

Sources said Vance will depart Washington on Tuesday evening and is expected to land in the Pakistani capital around midday on Wednesday, with the discussions reportedly scheduled to take place the same day.

Preparations for the meeting are said to be underway, with reports indicating that several US military aircraft have already arrived in Pakistan in connection with the arrangements for the delegation.

However, Iran’s participation remains unclear. Iranian state media has already denied reports that any delegation has travelled to Islamabad for talks, dismissing earlier speculation as “unfounded” and insisting that no representatives—senior or otherwise—are currently engaged in such negotiations.

Adding to the uncertainty, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf reiterated that Tehran does not accept negotiations conducted under threat or pressure, reinforcing long-standing Iranian conditions for any diplomatic engagement with Washington.

The apparent contradiction between US planning and Iranian public positions has raised doubts over whether the scheduled meeting will proceed as planned.

Pakistan, which has played a mediating role in facilitating earlier contacts between the two sides, is continuing efforts to keep the diplomatic channel open. However, observers note that the talks remain fragile, with both timing and participation still in question.

The situation comes at a sensitive moment, as broader regional tensions and ceasefire arrangements linked to earlier rounds of dialogue face increasing uncertainty.

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