The U.S. struck military targets on Iran's Kharg Island on Tuesday, hours before President Donald Trump's deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key flashpoint in the war with Iran, in which he threatened that a "whole civilization will die."
Trump escalated his rhetoric toward Iran on Tuesday, writing in a Truth Social post that "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again," in reference to Iran. He continued that a mass bombardment "probably will" occur and calling the looming deadline "one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the world."
The president had previously told the Iranian regime that it faced "complete destruction" of its civilian infrastructure if it didn't accept his demands to lift an effective blockade on the vital waterway by 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday. He has threatened that Iranian power plants, railways, and civilian infrastructure will be demolished.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow, yet incredibly strategically important waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. At its narrowest point, the strait is about 21 miles wide. Around 20 percent of global oil trade passes through the Strait, and disruptions often significantly spike global prices.
Kharg Island, which is about 300 miles north of the Strait of Hormuz in the Red Sea off Iran's shore, is incredibly strategic for the country's oil exports. About 90 percent of Iran's crude oil exports are processed on the island, which had previously been targeted by the Trump administration as part of its effort to open the Strait of Hormuz.
The U.S. struck military targets on Kharg Island Tuesday, marking the second time the administration has struck the infrastructure on the crucial island. Vice President JD Vance, while speaking in Budapest, said, "We're not going to strike energy and infrastructure targets until the Iranians either make a proposal that we can get behind or don't make a proposal."
He continued, "I don't think the news in Kharg Island...represents a change in strategy, or represents any change from the President of the United States." Vance said "We feel confident that we can get a response, whether it's positive or negative, we're going to get a response from the Iranians by 8 p.m. tonight. I hope they make the right response."
Iranian media reported Tuesday that Kharg Island's oil infrastructure remains intact, confirming earlier statements from a U.S. official that the latest attack did not affect the country's critical export terminals. The U.S. reportedly struck around 50 targets.
Chief national security correspondent for Fox News, Jennifer Griffin reported that "the targets struck on Kharg Island included bunkers, a radar station, and ammunition storage, and were carried out solely by the U.S. and not by Israel."
A senior U.S. official reportedly told Griffin,'This is a message to the Iranians.'" She also reported that "landing docks used by oil tankers were not intentionally targeted."
A U.S. official told Reuters that some of the targets were struck again after being hit in a March attack. Trump previously ordered U.S. strikes against Kharg Island, claiming to have destroyed up to 90 military targets, including naval mine facilities and missile storage bunkers, while "sparing" oil facilities. The island has storage tanks in the south and also houses thousands of workers.
Kharg Island sits at the heart of Iran's energy infrastructure, handling the vast majority of the country's crude exports. Earlier in the war, the administration floated the possibility of seizing the island, although Trump has lacked support from Republicans for boots on the ground. Any attempt to seize or neutralize the facility would represent a major escalation, likely requiring a sustained military presence to secure and operate the site, and would carry significant economic and geopolitical consequences. Analysts have warned such a move could provoke wider retaliation and further destabilize shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of the world's oil supply passes.
The price of Brent crude -- the international benchmark -- has soared to over $100 per barrel, around $110 on Tuesday afternoon.
Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, said in an X post Tuesday: "In an age of creeping relativism, a universal moral law still exists. Threatening to end an entire civilization of 90 million people in order to bend a nation's conduct to your will is grossly morally wrong. It is evil. And we should say this loudly."
Ian Bremmer, founder of the Eurasia Group, said in an X post sharing Trump's Truth Social message: "It looks bad for the U.S. president to threaten genocide."
Alex Jones, conservative political commentator and conspiracy theorist, said in an X post Tuesday: "WAR CRIME ALERT!!- Trump on Iran: 'A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. The definition of genocide is destroying an entire civilization/people! Trump literally sounds like an unhinged super villain from a Marvel comic movie. THIS IS NOT WHAT WE VOTED FOR!!!'"
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an X post Tuesday: "We are crushing the terrorist regime in Iran. But we are doing so with even greater vigor and increasing force. Yesterday we destroyed transport planes and dozens of helicopters. Today we attacked the train tracks and bridges used by the Revolutionary Guards."
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a Tuesday X post: "More than 14 million proud Iranians have so far registered to sacrifice their lives to defend Iran. I too have been am and will remain devoted to giving my life for Iran."
Representative Jodey Arrington, a Texas Republican, said on Fox Business' Mornings with Maria: "Thank God we have a commander in chief that is not full of empty rhetoric...Thank God for President Trump and the courage and political will to do what he's doing."
Senator Andy Kim, a New Jersey Democrat, said in an X post Tuesday: "Congress must convene immediately to condemn Trump's horrific threats against tens of millions of people and stop this unconstitutional war. We must prevent Trump from unleashing the catastrophic and illegal violence he is touting."
Israel and the U.S. have struck Iran ahead of the looming deadline with Israeli warplanes hitting two bridges and railways in the country, according to Netanyahu's office.
Trump set a deadline for 8 p.m. ET for Iran to open the strait.