Trump says the US may strike Iran's Khark Island "just for fun" again

The US president said the US may launch more attacks on Iran's oil export hub, Khark Island, and urged allies to help open up the Strait of Hormuz.

US President Donald Trump was interviewed by the media after arriving at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, USA on March 11, 2026.

US President Donald Trump threatened to launch further strikes on Iran's Khark Island and urged allies to deploy warships to ensure the safety of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global energy supply. Meanwhile, Tehran has pledged to strengthen its retaliation.

Trump told NBC News on Saturday that the US airstrikes had "completely destroyed" most of the facilities at the oil export hub and warned of more attacks on the island.

"We might hit it a few more times, just for fun," he said.

Trump's remarks marked an escalation in the situation, as he had previously stated that the US target was limited to military targets on Kharg Island.

Satellite images of Iran's Khark Island.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would respond to any attack on its energy facilities.

Araghchi told MS NOW news channel that the US attacked Khark Island from two locations in the UAE: Ras Al Khaimah and "very close to Dubai." He called the move "dangerous" and said Iran "will try to avoid attacking any densely populated areas in the region."

The US Central Command, which is responsible for military operations in the Middle East, declined to comment on Araghchi's statements. A diplomatic advisor to UAE President Anwar Gargash said on social media that the UAE has the right to self-defense but "still prioritizes reason and logic and maintains restraint."

The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Sunday that they launched missile and drone attacks on targets in Israel and three US bases in the region, calling the attack the first round of retaliation for the death of workers in an Iranian industrial area.

According to Iranian media, a missile attack on an industrial area in the central Iranian city of Isfahan on Saturday killed at least 15 people, when workers were inside a factory.

Meanwhile, Tehran has the capability to block shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which one fifth of the world's oil cargo passes. The conflict in the Strait of Hormuz has caused the greatest disruption in the history of global oil supply, shocking markets and governments alike.

"All countries that import oil through the Strait of Hormuz must maintain this passage, and we will provide strong assistance!" Trump posted on social media on Saturday.

"The US will also coordinate with these countries to ensure everything is quickly, smoothly, and properly done."

According to government and national media reports, the war launched by Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on February 28 has resulted in more than 2,000 deaths, most of them in Iran.

Source: Al Jazeera

Original: toutiao.com/article/1859744036464648/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.