President Donald Trump on Monday threatened further strikes against Iran, stating he would “knock the hell out of” Kharg Island again if necessary, following a recent attack that he said destroyed key military facilities. Trump indicated he intentionally avoided damaging Iran’s oil infrastructure during the strikes.
Trump Details Iran Strikes, Threatens Further Action
The comments came during a phone call with PBS News’ Liz Landers while Trump attended a meeting regarding the conflict in Iran. Trump announced Friday on Truth Social that he had “totally obliterated every military target” on Kharg Island, which handles approximately 90% of Iran’s oil exports.
U.S. military officials reported Saturday that a number of military and missile facilities were destroyed in the attack, while preserving oil infrastructure. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Iran would retaliate if its oil or energy infrastructure were attacked.
Trump described the island as “out of commission except for the pipes, which I left,” adding, “I didn’t want to hit the pipes because, you know, years of work to put them together.” He stated the island is “totally” and “completely” dead militarily, claiming Iranian forces have “fled.”
Trump said he deliberately maintained a 100-yard buffer around oil infrastructure, explaining, “Because once you do that, you know, it’s a long time. It’s a long building process.” He also stated he “left a lot of infrastructure” in attacks on Tehran since late February, citing the lengthy rebuilding process.
“I could knock out the electric plants in one hour. They’d be gone. But if I do that, that’s years of rebuilding and it’s trauma. So I’m trying to hold off on that kind of thing,” Trump said.
When asked about the possibility of U.S. troops being deployed on the ground in Iran, Trump responded, “I don’t wanna say that,” and declined to discuss strategy with a reporter.
Gas prices have increased since the start of the conflict, prompting the International Energy Agency to release 400 million barrels of oil from its reserves to stabilize the market. Trump predicted that “the oil prices will drop like a rock” once the war concludes.
When pressed for a timeline, Trump said, “Well, as soon as the war is over and it won’t … I don’t believe it will be long,” but declined to provide specifics, stating, “I never want to say that because if I’m two days late, you’ll criticize me.”
A recent PBS News/NPR/Marist poll indicates a majority of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the war in Iran and oppose further U.S. military action there. The Trump administration has offered evolving goals for the conflict, ultimately stating the president will determine when the mission is successful. Trump initially predicted the war would last “four to five weeks.”
WATCH: More Marines heading to Middle East as U.S. continues relentless strikes on Iran
Discover more from Archyworldys
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
