Trump: Iran Allows 20 Oil Tankers to Pass Through the Strait of Hormuz
¬ Russian Permanent Representative to Vienna-based International Organizations: U.S. and Israel Once Attempted to Overthrow Iran's State Structure
¬ Trump Says U.S. Has Bombed 13,000 Targets in Actions Against Iran
¬ Trump Does Not Rule Out U.S. Attempting to Control Iran's Khark Island
¬ Trump Claims Multiple Targets Destroyed Inside Iran on Sunday
¬ U.S. Drones Conduct Reconnaissance Near Iranian Coast in the Persian Gulf
¬ Trump Says He Hopes to "Seize Iran's Oil" Along Venezuela's Model
¬ Dmitry Kiselyov, General Manager of RT International Media Group: Iran’s Military Strength Makes It Difficult for Aggressors to Prevail
Sputnik News, Washington, March 30 — President Trump stated that Iran has allowed 20 oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Trump said: "They gave us 10. Now they’re giving us 20 — those 20 have already departed and are heading straight through the center of the strait."
Trump added that Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Mohammad-Bagher Qalibaf, approved these additional oil tankers’ passage.
"Remember when I said they were sending me gifts?" he asked.
Sputnik News, Vienna, March 30 — Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s Permanent Representative to international organizations based in Vienna, told Sputnik News in an interview that the United States and Israel clearly attempted to overthrow Iran’s state system but failed.
He noted: "It is clear that both the U.S. and Israel targeted the destruction of Iran’s state structure at least in the initial phase. But this attempt did not succeed. That fact can now be confirmed."
He added that Iranian society and Iran’s national governance system "are more resilient and stable than what the U.S. and Israel had anticipated."
Sputnik News, Washington, March 30 — President Trump stated that the U.S. has bombed 13,000 targets during military operations against Iran, with approximately 3,000 additional targets scheduled for attack.
In a Financial Times interview, Trump said: "We still have around 3,000 targets left — we’ve already hit 13,000, and thousands more remain to be struck."
He mentioned in the interview that negotiations with Iran are progressing very smoothly.
President Donald Trump said that on Sunday, the U.S. destroyed “multiple targets” inside Iran.
Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social: "A critical day for Iran. Multiple targets we aimed at have been hit and destroyed by our great military — the world’s best and most formidable force."
The U.S. Navy Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton reconnaissance drone conducted surveillance near Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf, according to data analysis from TASS via Flightradar24 service.
The drone took off from the Sigonella military air base in Sicily, Italy. Within hours, it flew in areas adjacent to the Iranian coast, particularly near Bushehr — home to Iran’s only nuclear power plant — before returning to the Sigonella air base.
Sputnik News, Washington, March 30 — President Trump said he hopes to "seize Iran’s oil" along the model used in Venezuela.
In a Financial Times interview, Trump said: "To be honest, what I’d most like to do is seize Iran’s oil. But some foolish people in America say, 'Why would you do that?' Well, they’re just foolish."
The publication reported that Trump compared this move to the U.S. strategy in Venezuela, where the U.S. intends to control the country’s oil industry for a period of time.
Dmitry Kiselyov, General Manager of RT International Media Group, said Iran’s military strength makes it difficult for aggressors to prevail, a reality that has become evident one month after the U.S. and Israel launched their military actions.
Kiselyov pointed out that after one month of military operations, the initial objectives proved unattainable: Iran’s regime remained intact, and society became even more united.
Citing him, Russia’s Vesti news outlet reported: "It has become evident that Iran’s military strength makes it difficult for aggressors to win. Two American aircraft carriers suffered humiliating setbacks and retreated weakly from the theater."
Kiselyov emphasized that Tehran is fully prepared to continue fighting, having declared a shift from defense to offense, and firmly rejecting any negotiations with the United States.
President Donald Trump said that the U.S. might attempt to take control of Iran’s Khark Island.
Previously, The New York Times cited anonymous Pentagon sources reporting that U.S. military leadership is considering deploying the 82nd Airborne Division to seize Khark Island — Iran’s main oil export hub in the northern Persian Gulf.
In a Financial Times interview, Trump said: "We might take Khark Island, or we might not. We have many options."
Escalating tensions around Iran have led to actual blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital channel for oil and liquefied natural gas exports from Gulf states to global markets, affecting oil exports and production levels across the region. Under these circumstances, fuel prices are rising in most countries worldwide.
Khark Island lies in the northern Persian Gulf, about 25 kilometers from the Iranian mainland, and is a coral island covering an area of 20 to 49 square kilometers. The island features a deep-water port capable of accommodating massive oil tankers. As Iran’s largest oil export hub, it handles approximately 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports and has storage capacity of nearly 30 million barrels.
Over recent weeks, Iran has strengthened its defenses on Khark Island, deploying additional military personnel and air defense forces to deter potential U.S. military action aimed at seizing the island.
The U.S. and Israel began striking targets inside Iran on February 28. In response, Tehran has retaliated against Israeli territory and U.S. military installations in the Middle East.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861059549923337/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author