Washington,(Parliament Times): US President Donald Trump has warned of additional strikes on Iran’s main oil export hub, Kharg Island, while stating he is not yet prepared to reach a deal with Tehran to end the ongoing war. The conflict has effectively shut down the critical Strait of Hormuz and triggered turmoil in global energy markets.
As the US-Israeli war against Iran entered its third week, Trump said American airstrikes had “totally demolished” large parts of the island and warned that further attacks could follow. Speaking to NBC News on Saturday, he said, “We may hit it a few more times just for fun.”
His remarks represented a significant escalation in rhetoric. Earlier, Trump had maintained that US forces were targeting only military facilities on Kharg Island. The latest comments have also dealt a setback to diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict, which has already spread across the Middle East and claimed more than 2,000 lives, mostly in Iran and Lebanon.
According to sources cited by Reuters, Washington has dismissed attempts by several Middle Eastern allies to initiate negotiations. Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Sunday that it launched additional missiles targeting Israel and three US bases in the region.
Trump, who has put forward a series of demands—including influence over selecting Iran’s leadership and the termination of Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes—said Iran appeared ready for a deal but that the proposed terms were still “not good enough.”
During the interview, Trump also suggested the possibility that Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, might have been killed. However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi rejected the claim, stating that Khamenei was in good health and actively managing the situation.
Energy crisis intensifies
With no immediate end to the conflict in sight, Iran’s ability to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz—a route responsible for about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments—has become a major concern for the global economy.
Although some Iranian vessels have continued passing through the waterway, most international shipping has effectively halted since the United States and Israel launched a large-scale bombing campaign against Iran on February 28.
Khamenei, who assumed leadership after the killing of his father Ali Khamenei during the initial attacks, has insisted that the strait should remain closed as a pressure tactic.
The International Energy Agency said the disruption had triggered the largest shock to global oil markets in history and could reduce global oil supplies by roughly eight percent during March.
Oil-loading operations at the UAE’s major ship-refueling hub in Fujairah resumed on Sunday, according to an industry source.
With crude oil prices climbing above $100 per barrel and expected to rise further, the crisis is also becoming a domestic political challenge for Trump’s Republican Party ahead of midterm elections scheduled for November.
Despite concerns about rising fuel prices, Trump insisted the spike would be temporary. He also urged countries that rely on oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz—including China, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain—to deploy naval forces to protect the waterway.
“The countries of the world that receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help—a lot,” Trump wrote on social media.
Meanwhile, France is attempting to organize an international coalition to secure the strait once conditions allow, while United Kingdom officials said they were discussing potential measures with allies to safeguard shipping routes. However, no country has yet committed to action while active fighting continues.
Continued attacks and rising tensions
As the standoff escalated, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced new missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and US military bases in the region. Saudi Arabia reported intercepting ten incoming attacks.
Araqchi denied accusations that Iran was targeting civilian areas and said Tehran was prepared to establish a regional committee to investigate responsibility for strikes that have damaged energy infrastructure and residential areas in several Gulf countries.
A source familiar with Israel’s military strategy told Reuters that Israeli forces have begun targeting bridges and roadblocks believed to be used by IRGC commanders. Iranian authorities have also detained dozens of individuals accused of sharing intelligence with Israel.
Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar dismissed reports suggesting Israel was running low on missile interceptors and rejected claims that negotiations with Lebanon could begin soon.
In Iran, at least 15 people were killed after an airstrike hit a refrigerator and heater factory in Isfahan, according to the semi-official Fars news agency. The Revolutionary Guards vowed further retaliation following the deaths of workers in Iran’s industrial sector.