On Sunday, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz stated that President Trump is weighing whether to launch an attack on Iran’s crucial oil export hub, Kharg Island.
Waltz, in an interview with CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, said, “President Trump will not rule out any options.”
Last Friday, Trump ordered a massive precision bombing of military facilities on Kharg Island but spared the oil infrastructure. He warned that if Iran interferes in any way with the safe passage of ships through the Hormuz Strait, he would reconsider this decision.
Kharg Island is seen as the economic lifeline of Iran, responsible for about 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports, with a daily loading and unloading capacity of around 7 million barrels. Whether the island’s oil facilities will be a target for attack has become a focus of global attention.
Waltz stated that currently the intention is to only target the military infrastructure on Kharg Island but the option to destroy the island’s energy infrastructure is being kept on the table.
Trump is seeking other countries to send warships to the Hormuz Strait to protect ships. Safeguarding this waterway is crucial to prevent Iran from disrupting the global energy market.
Waltz said Trump has told other countries not to let Iran “hijack your economy.” The US welcomes participation in escorting ships through the Hormuz Strait to help their own economic development, while at the same time, the US military will continue to weaken Iran’s influence to ensure the passage in that strait.
Trump’s decision to launch “Operation Wrath of God” against Iran comes after the collapse of US-Iran negotiations and Iran’s refusal to abandon its nuclear ambitions. Waltz, in an interview with Fox News on Sunday, said the US has the capability to seize Iran’s enriched uranium, it just depends on whether the President wants to do so.
“As a former Special Forces operative, I can tell you, we have units specifically dedicated to handling global weapons of mass destruction (WMD).” He expressed confidence that this would not be another Iraq War of 2003 with tens of thousands of US troops occupying a city or region. He said that when dealing with the Iran issue, Trump has various options, from diplomatic means to seizing enriched uranium. Trump has made it clear that Iran can never have nuclear weapons, which is his consistent and firm stance.