Trump Threatens Kharg Island Seizure and Iran Naval Blockade

At the NATO summit in Ankara, U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States could take over Iran's Kharg Island and put back the naval blockade against Iran, escalating pressure on Tehran after U.S. strikes on more than 80 Iranian targets. Trump told reporters the U.S. attacked Kharg Island the previous night, said the blockade would apply only to Iran, and floated strikes on Iranian electricity, desalination and other infrastructure. Kharg Island typically handles about 90 percent of Iran's crude oil exports. For Israel, the threats reinforce Washington's willingness to squeeze Iran's oil lifeline while Jerusalem keeps warning that the regime remains the central regional threat.