Two weeks into Operation Epic Fury, US President Donald Trump reiterated that Iran was “totally defeated” and said they wanted a deal. But with an eye toward an end to the war, Trump said the alleged Iran deal was not one he would accept.
In a Truth Social post Friday evening local time, Trump wrote: “The Fake News Media hates to report how well the United States military has done against Iran, which is a total loser and wants a deal – but not a deal I would accept! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
However, Iran has shown no signs of capitulating or bowing to US-Israeli military pressure.
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Attack on Kharg Island
In a separate post on Friday, Trump said US forces had carried out “one of the most powerful bombings in the history of the Middle East”, targeting Iran’s “crown jewel” – the island of Kharg.
Declaring that America’s weapons are the “most powerful and most sophisticated” in the world, Trump said he had “decided, for reasons of decency, NOT to wipe out” the island’s oil infrastructure.
Kharg Island, located about 30 kilometers from the Iranian mainland, provides about 90% of Iran’s oil exports, AFP reported, citing a recent JPMorgan report.
Iran’s Fars news agency reported at least 15 explosions with thick smoke rising over Kharg Island, previously hit by US strikes.
It said the attacks targeted an air defense facility, a naval base, an airport control tower and an offshore oil company’s helicopter hangar, adding that no oil infrastructure was damaged in the attack.
Following up on his earlier claims, Trump said Iran will “NEVER” have a nuclear weapon, “nor have the ability to threaten the United States of America, the Middle East, or for that matter, the world!”
Meanwhile, a U.S. official said an additional 2,500 Marines and an amphibious assault ship are being sent to the Middle East nearly two weeks into the war with the Islamic Republic.
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Iran again threatens to target US-linked oil facilities
Iran’s Joint Military Command has reiterated its threat to attack US-connected oil and energy facilities in the region if the Islamic Republic’s oil infrastructure is hit.
Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Command, made the threat early Saturday morning, according to Iranian state television.
He warned that Iran would target “all oil, economic and energy infrastructure belonging to oil companies throughout the region that have American shares or cooperate with America” if the energy and economic infrastructure in Iran was attacked.
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Iran has continued large-scale missile and drone attacks on Israel and neighboring Gulf states and has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil trade passes, even as US and Israeli warplanes strike military and other targets across Iran.
