US will hit Iran 'very hard' tonight: Trump plans to take over main Iranian oil terminals

US President Donald Trump on Thursday said the United States would hit Iran “very hard tonight,” threatening to “assume total control” of Iran’s oil and gas industries, including the key Kharg Island, in the “not too distant future.”

"The United States will be hitting Iran (Whose Navy, Air Force, Radar, Anti Aircraft, and all other forms of Defense, together with most of its offensive capability, are GONE! ), VERY HARD TONIGHT," he said in a post on Truth Social.

"At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela, which is working out brilliantly for both Venezuela and the United States of America," it added.


Also read: Iran warns Mideast truce 'practically meaningless' after US strikes

The post come after the Washington and Tehran traded strikes for a second day, pushing the Middle East closer to the resumption of a full-scale war.

The new exchange of fire came as efforts to negotiate an end to the US-Iran war appeared stuck, with Trump warning that Tehran would “pay the price” for stalled negotiations. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement earlier that the American attacks had “effectively rendered the ceasefire ... meaningless,” without saying it was abandoning it.

Iran warns of 'more widespread' war if US attacks

Iran's top military commander responded to Trump's threats, warning that any renewed US attacks on his country would trigger a tougher response and plunge the wider region into a new round of instability.

General Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned in a statement that "if the United States once again seeks to carry out attacks against heroic Iran, it will receive a harsher response than before, and the flames of war, in addition to creating insecurity in the region, will become more widespread and far-reaching".

US to not hit bridges, power plants

Trump noted the US will attack Iran again with intensified strikes on Thursday night but he would rather not ‌hit bridges and power plants.

"There will be more bombing tonight. ​It will ​be ⁠bigger - bigger, more powerful...I'd rather not hit bridges and power plants. People would not be able to drink water, I don't want to do that," he said in an interview on Fox News.

He emphasised that he would like to take ‌over ⁠the ⁠country's oil infrastructure ​hub Kharg Island but he ​is not sure Americans are has the ​appetite for ⁠it.

"We are ‌talking ​to ​them, and all, ⁠but you know, look, ​my preference has always been - ​take Kharg Island ... my preference would be that. I don't ‌know that America has the ​stomach ​for it," ⁠he said.

Despite plans for more ​strikes, Trump said the US is still talking with Iran to reach a deal.

Trump says US is sneaking oil through Strait of Hormuz

Trump said Wednesday that the US military has undertaken a mission since last month to sneak oil shipments past Iran’s forces in the Strait of Hormuz, aided by the destruction of Iranian radar equipment.

Trump said as a result more than 100 million barrels of oil have evaded Iran’s chokehold.

Earlier this week, the US President suggested that an agreement with Iran could be close — but the exchanges of fire have called that into question, and big differences remain between the two nations.

The US demands Iran to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Tehran is refusing to give up the uranium and is demanding relief from sanctions. It also demands the release of frozen assets even before a final agreement is in place, something Trump rejected.

Iran has further insisted that any deal to end the war must also end fighting between its ally Hezbollah and Israel.