Iran-US war latest: Trump threatens to seize Kharg Island ‘easily’ as oil heads for record monthly jump

Donald Trump warned that American forces could “very easily’ seize Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil terminal in the Persian Gulf, as US-Israeli war on the Mideastern nation entered its fifth week on Monday.

“Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” Trump told the Financial Times. Asked about Iranian defences there, he said: “I don’t think they have any defence. We could take it very easily.”

The statement comes as oil prices head ‌for a record monthly rise in the aftermath of Yemen’s Houthis joining the war by attacking Israel. Brent crude futures jumped $3.09, or 2.74 per cent, to $115.66 a barrel ​after settling 4.2 per cent higher on Friday.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces on Monday said they were targeting the infrastructure of Iranian leaders “throughout Tehran”.

Iran’s military spokesperson warned over the weekend that the homes of US and Israeli officials had become “legitimate targets” and said Trump was leading US troops into the “swamp of death”amid reports of a ground invasion.

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