Trump vows fresh Iran strikes and seizure of oil terminals

Published 11 June 2026 · us

U.S. President Donald Trump vowed fresh attacks against Iran on Thursday (June 11, 2026), saying American forces would also soon seize the country's key oil

U.S. President Donald Trump vowed fresh attacks against Iran on Thursday (June 11, 2026), saying American forces would also soon seize the country's key oil infrastructure after the two sides exchanged strikes overnight. West Asia war: Follow LIVE updates on June 11, 2026 His threat came after Iran warned the shaky ceasefire in their three-month war was "practically meaningless" following the latest strikes by the United States, which saw Tehran respond with attacks around the region. The war, which began on February 28 with a wave of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, was paused by the April truce, but efforts to hammer out a permanent end to the fighting have stalled and sporadic exchanges of fire have put the ceasefire under repeated strain. The U.S. military will hit Iran "VERY HARD TONIGHT," Mr. Trump said in a Truth Social post on Thursday (June 11, 2026). "At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela," he added. In separate comments to Fox News, he said he would "rather not" hit Iranian civilian infrastructure like power plants, as previously threatened, "because once you do that, the people suffer". In a second straight day of tit-for-tat attacks, Washington hit surveillance, communications and air defence facilities, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced a "punitive operation" targeting a U.S. base in Jordan and Gulf states reported incoming fire.

Mediators Pakistan and Qatar suggested backchannel efforts to negotiate an end to the war were ongoing in spite of the flare-up, though Islamabad cautioned it was "hard to be an optimist" in light of the escalation. The strikes took place while a Qatari delegation was in Tehran for talks, with a diplomatic source saying the discussions lasted into the early hours of the morning and were "conducted in coordination with the United States". Trump, who has repeatedly maintained negotiations with Tehran were close to a deal, had said on Wednesday (June 10, 2026) that Iran keeps "playing us for suckers" and will now "have to pay the price". Hours after those comments, CENTCOM said U.S. forces began strikes early on Thursday (June 11, 2026) in Iran, later adding it had completed its attacks. Iranian media reported explosions across the south, with at least three people wounded in Tehran province. ‘Negotiate with bombs’ The renewed hostilities came as Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said that if Mr. Trump required it, "we'll negotiate with bombs". Iran's Foreign Ministry said "the illegal and criminal attacks perpetrated by the United States in recent hours not only constitute a flagrant violation... but also render the ceasefire practically meaningless". But a Foreign Ministry spokesman for mediator Pakistan, which hosted an initial round of talks between the warring parties, said it had not "lost hope" in a negotiated resolution.