U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday, June 3, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Sean Hsu | Bloomberg | Getty Images
President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to seize control of Iran’s oil infrastructure, including Kharg Island, a major export port, “in the not too distant future.”
President Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the U.S. military will attack Iran “very hard” tonight after completing a series of airstrikes on Wednesday. The president threatened to take “total control” of Iran’s oil and gas market, as the United States did in Venezuela earlier this year.
Khalg Island is Iran’s main oil export terminal, and before the war, it accounted for approximately 90% of crude oil shipments. The US Navy has already blockaded Iranian ports and ships, blocking most Iranian exports.
The United States launched attacks against military targets on Kharg Island early in the war, but has so far largely avoided targeting or seizing Iranian oil and gas infrastructure.
Shortly after making those threats, President Trump told Fox News he didn’t know if “America has the stomach” to accept Kaag. The president said the United States continues to hold talks with Iran.
“I think they want us to come home, and we worked with Venezuela to make that happen,” Trump told Fox News in a live phone call. “Venezuela has delivered great results for everyone.”
The Trump administration has essentially controlled Venezuela’s oil exports since the United States ousted former President Nicolas Maduro in a military raid in January. Revenues from Venezuelan oil sales are deposited into an account at the Treasury Department. Venezuelan oil shipments are sent to the U.S. Gulf Coast, where the crude is refined.
President Trump this week ramped up military pressure on Iran, frustrated with Tehran’s failure to quickly agree to a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and give up its nuclear program. The latest escalation this week began with President Trump blaming Iran for shooting down a US Apache helicopter in Hormuz.
“We dropped $250 million worth of bombs on them last night,” Trump told Fox. “You know, everything is crazy, but they’re really submissive. They just don’t realize it yet.”
