The Albany Gazette - Trump vows fresh Iran strikes and seizure of oil terminals

His threat came after Iran warned the shaky ceasefire in their three-month war was "practically meaningless" following the latest strikes by the United States, which saw Tehran respond with attacks around the region.

The war, which began on February 28 with a wave of US-Israeli strikes on Iran, was paused by the April truce, but efforts to hammer out a permanent end to the fighting have stalled and sporadic exchanges of fire have put the ceasefire under repeated strain.

The US military will hit Iran "VERY HARD TONIGHT," Trump said in a Truth Social post on Thursday.

"At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela," he added.

In separate comments to Fox News, he said he would "rather not" hit Iranian civilian infrastructure like power plants, as previously threatened, "because once you do that, the people suffer".

In a second straight day of tit-for-tat attacks, Washington hit surveillance, communications and air defence facilities, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced a "punitive operation" targeting a US base in Jordan and Gulf states reported incoming fire.

Mediators Pakistan and Qatar suggested backchannel efforts to negotiate an end to the war were ongoing in spite of the flare-up, though Islamabad cautioned it was "hard to be an optimist" in light of the escalation.

The strikes took place while a Qatari delegation was in Tehran for talks, with a diplomatic source saying the discussions lasted into the early hours of the morning and were "conducted in coordination with the United States".

Trump, who has repeatedly maintained negotiations with Tehran were close to a deal, had said on Wednesday that Iran keeps "playing us for suckers" and will now "have to pay the price".

Hours after those comments, CENTCOM said US forces began strikes early Thursday in Iran, later adding it had completed its attacks.

Iranian media reported explosions across the south, with at least three people wounded in Tehran province.

- 'Negotiate with bombs' -

The renewed hostilities came as Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said that if Trump required it, "we'll negotiate with bombs".

Iran's foreign ministry said "the illegal and criminal attacks perpetrated by the United States in recent hours not only constitute a flagrant violation... but also render the ceasefire practically meaningless".

But a foreign ministry spokesman for mediator Pakistan, which hosted an initial round of talks between the warring parties, said it had not "lost hope" in a negotiated resolution.

Still, said Tahir Andrabi, "It is hard to be an optimist in the new exchange of hostilities."

Turkey and Saudi Arabia, which also came under Iranian attack during the war, called for de-escalation, with Riyadh "urging all parties to prioritise wisdom" by resuming peace talks.

China, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, likewise called for more negotiations on Thursday, with a foreign ministry spokesperson urging the warring parties "to immediately cease military operations... (and) respond to the mediation efforts".

Tehran's ally Russia echoed the sentiment, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying the escalation risked more "negative consequences for the situation in the region and the global economy".

Majid, a 35-year-old pharmacist in Tehran, said he was "deeply worried" by the attacks and their knock-on effects on daily life for Iranians already facing economic hardship.

"I am absolutely not optimistic about the agreement being finalised, because the gap between the two countries is too wide," he said, blaming the lack of progress on Israel -- which also traded fire with Iran in recent days -- as well as hardliners at home.

- Hormuz threats -

Iran has renewed its warnings over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for oil and gas transport which it has essentially closed since early in the war, roiling global energy markets.

Iran's new body overseeing the strait on Thursday confirmed it "will be closed until further notice".

Majid Mousavi, the head of the Iranian Guards' aerospace force, had promised to "make the region hell" for Tehran's enemies over their conduct in the waterway.

On Wednesday, three Indian sailors on a commercial vessel were killed when the United States attacked the ship off the coast of Oman, New Delhi said Thursday, summoning a US diplomat to lodge a protest.

The Iranian navy said it had also hit two ships trying to sail through the strait, state television IRIB and the Mehr agency reported.

On Thursday, CENTCOM said it had disabled another tanker, the Jalveer, for allegedly attempting to evade a US counter-blockade of Iranian ports.

The Indian embassy in Oman said on X that the crew of the ship were being evacuated by the Omani navy, without specifying their nationality.

burs/axn/smw

(T.Wright--TAG)