President Donald Trump threatened Wednesday to strike Iran’s civilian infrastructure and suggested the United States could seize Kharg Island, a key oil hub, as a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran appeared to weaken. His comments came during a two-day NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, after renewed fighting raised fresh doubts about whether the interim deal could survive.
A Warning That Raised the Stakes
Trump renewed his threat to target Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including electric plants and desalinization plants, while arguing that Tehran had failed to respect the ceasefire.
“They really deserve it,” Trump said, according to the AP video report, as he warned of further U.S. action.
The president also suggested that the United States could move against Kharg Island, one of Iran’s most important oil-production hubs. “We may take over Kharg Island,” Trump said. “There’s not a thing they could do about it.”
Ceasefire Deal Under Pressure
The threats came as Trump said he believed the ceasefire with Iran was effectively over. The deal had been meant to pause fighting and create space for wider talks, including discussions over Iran’s nuclear program and security in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump was blunt about his frustration. “I think it’s over,” he said, while adding that the U.S. military might “just finish the job.”
Still, Trump also said any new military action would not be a long-term campaign. “Anything that happens is going to happen very fast,” he said. “We’re not looking for a long time.”
Diplomacy Struggles to Hold
Regional mediators have been trying to keep the interim deal alive. According to AP, officials from Pakistan, Qatar, Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia were involved in efforts to prevent the conflict from spreading further.
Pakistan, which helped broker the ceasefire, urged both sides to keep talking. “There is no alternative to continued engagement, dialogue and diplomacy to achieve shared goal of peace in the region,” its Foreign Ministry said.
Michael Eisenstadt, a former U.S. military analyst, said the public threats may still be part of a pressure campaign. “We’re still in negotiating mode,” Eisenstadt said.
Iran Pushes Back
Iranian officials accused Washington of repeatedly violating the terms of the initial agreement. Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran’s lead negotiator, said Tehran would not accept what it viewed as intimidation.
“The era of bullying and extortion is over,” Qalibaf posted on X. “It leads nowhere. We don’t fold.”
Iranian state media also aired warnings that countries supporting U.S. action could become targets, adding another layer of concern for Gulf states already caught in the wider regional crisis.
Oil, Markets and Political Risks
The possibility of strikes on infrastructure or Kharg Island added concern to global energy markets. Kharg Island is tied closely to Iran’s oil exports, and any disruption there could affect fuel prices far beyond the region.
Trump acknowledged the connection between oil and the broader economy, saying, “As oil goes, so goes everything else.” But he argued that pressure on Iran was necessary to stop Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group warned that pressure tactics could become difficult to control. “Coercive bargaining is a dangerous game,” Vaez said.
Trump’s threat to strike Iran’s civilian infrastructure marks another sharp turn in a conflict already filled with uncertainty. While U.S. officials continue to frame the pressure as a way to force Iran back toward concessions, the risk of wider fighting remains high. With regional mediators trying to rescue the ceasefire, the next steps from Washington and Tehran may decide whether the deal collapses completely or diplomacy gets one more chance.
