‘We may hit it a few more times’: Trump says US may strike Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub ‘just for fun’ | World News

US President Donald Trump threatened more US strikes on Iran’s main oil export hub and called on allied countries to send warships to protect the Strait of Hormuz, as the conflict with Iran continues, according to a report Reuters.Speaking in an interview with NBC News, Trump said American strikes had caused heavy damage to Iran’s Kharg Island and warned that more attacks could follow.

“We may hit it a few more times just for fun,” Trump said, adding that although Tehran seemed ready to discuss an end to the conflict, “the terms aren’t good enough yet”.

The remarks came as fighting between the United States, Israel and Iran entered its third week, with both sides signalling they were preparing for a longer confrontation.

‘The countries of the world must take care of that passage’

Trump also urged countries that rely on oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz to send naval forces to secure the shipping route.Story continues below this ad

“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 his Truth Social platform.

He said the United States would coordinate with other countries to ensure the route remained open for shipping.

The strait is one of the world’s most important energy routes, with a large share of global oil and gas supplies passing through the narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

Rising risks to shipping have pushed up energy prices and raised concerns about supply disruptions.Story continues below this ad

Iran rejects ceasefire calls

Iran said it would not consider a ceasefire unless US and Israeli air strikes stop. Iranian forces continued attacks in the region. A drone strike disrupted a major energy hub in the United

Arab Emirates on Saturday, while the United States warned its citizens to leave Iraq after a missile strike near the US embassy in Baghdad.

Since the United States and Israel began air strikes on Iran on February 28, more than 2,000 people have been reported killed, most of them in Iran, according to government and state media reports.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard also warned that facilities linked to the United States in the region could become “legitimate targets”.Story continues below this ad

Damage reported on Kharg Island

Iran downplayed the extent of damage on Kharg Island after the US strikes.

However, the US military said it targeted more than 90 locations on the island, including naval mine storage areas and missile bunkers.

Kharg Island and the Persian Gulf. (File Photo)

Iranian Foreign Miner Abbas Araqchi said Tehran would respond if its energy infrastructure was attacked.

Meanwhile, Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father Ali Khamenei after he was killed in earlier strikes, has said the Strait of Hormuz should remain closed.Allies weigh responseStory continues below this ad

Western countries have not yet confirmed whether they will send warships to the region.A spokesperson for the UK Minry of Defence said Britain was discussing possible steps with partners to protect shipping.

“As we’ve said previously, we are currently discussing with our allies and partners a range of options to ensure the security of shipping in the region,” the spokesperson said.

France has also said it is working with partners on plans for a coalition to protect shipping once the security situation improves.

The conflict has already disrupted oil markets, with some loading operations temporarily suspended at the port of Fujairah, a major global ship-refuelling hub outside the Strait of Hormuz.