Trump Threatens To Seize Iran’s Kharg Oil Island As UAE And Iran Meet

U.S. President Donald Trump publicly threatened to seize Iran’s Kharg oil island in the Persian Gulf, posting on Truth Social and in interviews, while Bloomberg reported senior security officials from the UAE and Iran met for the first time since the war began.

“If we need to negotiate with bombs, we will negotiate with bombs, Hegseth says Dubai: Fresh exchanges of fire between the United States and Iran have pushed the conflict into its most dangerous phase yet and raised a question that goes far beyond the latest battlefield developments: Can President Donald Trump bomb Iran into accepting a peace deal”

Gulf News

The Ynetnews account says Pentagon officials and two senior U.S. administration officials told CNN that U.S. military plans to attempt control over the island had been developed over months but repeatedly postponed because the operation was considered too dangerous.

Gulf News

According to Ynetnews, the White House and Pentagon estimate that seizing Kharg or destroying its energy infrastructure would severely damage Iran’s economy and reduce its war capabilities, but could require significant ground forces and result in heavy casualties.

Ynetnews also links the threats to “two days of exchanges of fire between the United States and Iran” just before the start of the World Cup hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and frames the Kharg move as a potential “endgame” that could shift the balance of the war at high risk.

Gulf News frames the conflict’s escalation around the question of whether President Donald Trump can “bomb Iran into accepting a peace deal,” after the Trump administration ordered new strikes on Iranian targets.

The outlet quotes Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth saying, "If we need to negotiate with bombs, we will negotiate with bombs," describing the latest attacks as part of an effort to strengthen Washington’s diplomatic position.

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Gulf News says the strikes targeted Iranian surveillance systems, communications infrastructure and air-defence assets, according to US Central Command, and came amid renewed tensions over the Strait of Hormuz and stalled negotiations.

Gulf News then points to Iran’s counter-position through Amir Saeid Iravani, quoting him: "No lasting agreement can be achieved through threats, intimidation or the use of force," and adds that Iran wants the world to know it “can’t be bombed back to the negotiating table.”

Al-Quds Al-Arabi, via the القدس العربي source, says the Wall Street Journal reported the United States is pressuring Oman to pick a side in the Gulf confrontation and sever its ties with Iran.

The report describes how Omani officials established a secret channel with Tehran early in the war, and then says Washington increasingly interpreted Oman’s approach toward Tehran as anti-American after three months.

It adds that the Trump administration threatened to impose sanctions on Oman, and even to bomb it, after intelligence assessments concluded Muscat was planning to join Iran in imposing fees on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, despite Oman’s denials.

The article quotes Omani Information Minister Abdullah al-Harassi saying, "Oman is fully prepared to work with the United States and all responsible partners to promote stability, deter disruptions, and protect shared strategic interests," while noting Oman’s stated commitment to the freedom of flow of trade and energy through the Strait of Hormuz.