Iran attack looms.
Trump announces US will attack Iran 'tonight' with severe force, targeting oil industry.
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the United States will strike Iran again "with great toughness" tonight. He made the announcement on Fox & Friends, saying US forces will hit Iran hard and that Washington plans to take control of Iran's oil industry — just like it did with Venezuela El Periódico.
The announcement comes as Iran declared the April 8 ceasefire "null and void" and closed the Strait of Hormuz to all commercial ships Levante EMV. The Strait carries one-fifth of the world's oil. Energy markets are already in shock, with oil prices projected to hit $150 per barrel if the closure lasts more than 72 hours.
Trump Promises Strikes and Plans to Seize Iranian Oil
Trump posted on Truth Social: "We will hit them VERY HARD TONIGHT." He said the US will "assume total control" of Iran's oil and gas markets. He added that he could "send a small group of soldiers and take the whole country tomorrow" but prefers air strikes over putting boots on the ground La Provincia.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth backed up the threat directly. He said CENTCOM will be "very busy tonight." He described past diplomacy as "tapping" on the door, and said tonight would be "bombs falling" El Correo Web.
How the US Did It in Venezuela — and Why Iran Is Different
In January 2026, US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas. Trump then signed an energy deal that put Venezuelan oil terminals under US-aligned management. Trump now wants to repeat that model with Iran's Kharg Island, which handles 90% of all Iranian crude exports Diario de Mallorca.
But analysts warn the comparison breaks down fast. Kharg Island sits just 33 kilometers from the Iranian mainland. That puts any US forces there within range of thousands of Iranian short-range missiles and drones. The Lowy Institute called it "far more dangerous" than the Venezuela operation.
A Rapid Escalation: Missiles, Tankers, and a Broken Ceasefire
The crisis exploded fast. On June 9, Iran fired 12 ballistic missiles at the US Al Azraq airbase in Jordan, claiming to have destroyed F-35 fighter jets. The next day, the US launched a new wave of strikes — 49 Tomahawk missiles — hitting Iranian air defenses. The US also disabled a third oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman for breaking the blockade on Iranian crude El Periódico Mediterráneo.
The US says it has spent $250 million on munitions in the last 48 hours alone. Iran's foreign ministry called the strikes "illegal and criminal" and warned that the "dangerous consequences" of breaking the ceasefire fall entirely on Washington El Periódico de Extremadura. Qatar and Jordan are trying last-minute talks in Doha, but Iranian officials called those efforts "irrelevant."
Global Fallout: Oil Prices, Dead Sailors, and Regional Strikes
The Hormuz closure is rattling global energy markets. One-fifth of the world's oil moves through the strait. If it stays closed more than 72 hours, analysts project prices could reach $150 per barrel. Iran has also launched retaliatory strikes on US partners including Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan El Correo Gallego.
Three Indian sailors were killed after a US naval strike hit a tanker in the Gulf of Oman. That raises the risk of a diplomatic crisis with India. Tonight's US strikes are expected between 8:00 PM and 2:00 AM Tehran time, with all eyes on the US Fifth Fleet near Kharg Island La Opinión de Zamora.
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