Trump seeks 'Hormuz coalition' as US weighs move on Kharg Island

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump hinted that there were talks but said that “I don’t think they are ready.”

"I think they will negotiate at some point," he added. "We are doing very well with respect to the whole situation in Iran."

Earlier on Sunday, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed suggestions Tehran was seeking talks. “

We never asked for a ceasefire, and we have never asked even for negotiation,” he told CBS. “We are ready to defend ourselves as long as it takes.”

As the US-Israeli war with Iran entered its third week, tensions around the Strait of Hormuz continued to roil global energy markets.

Trump said his administration was in talks with seven countries about helping to secure the strait and called on them to protect shipping through the vital waterway that Tehran has largely blocked to tanker traffic.

“I’m demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory, because it is their territory,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling from Florida to Washington on Sunday.

He did not say which countries he meant. Australia has already said it will not send naval ships to help reopen the strait.

He also told the Financial Times that NATO allies faced a “very bad future” if they failed to do more to support US efforts against Iran.

Oil giants concerned

The chief executives of ExxonMobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips warned Trump administration officials that disruption to flows through the Strait of Hormuz is likely to worsen the global energy crisis, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The executives cautioned that prolonged instability around the strategic waterway could sustain volatility, tighten supplies and risk shortages of refined products.

In a separate social media post, Trump accused Iran of using artificial intelligence and sympathetic news outlets to spread false battlefield claims.

He rejected reports of damage to US aircraft and ships and said media organizations that carried such accounts could face legal consequences, suggesting some should be charged with treason.

Since the start of joint US–Israeli strikes on February 28, Iran has targeted at least 16 vessels and tankers, sharply curbing flows through one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints.

Data from the commodity intelligence firm Kpler, seen by Iran International, shows Iranian crude exports averaging more than 1.5 million barrels a day (bpd) so far this month through the strait.

Discharges at Chinese ports have also risen, increasing from about 1.17 million bpd in February to more than 1.25 million so far in March. Figures from the International Energy Agency and maritime intelligence provider Lloyd’s List similarly point to a surge in Iran’s shipments.

Last week, Iran also loaded a two-million-barrel cargo from Jask — its only export terminal outside the Strait of Hormuz — marking the first such shipment since October 2024.

Before the escalation, roughly 14.7 million barrels of crude and 4.8 million barrels of refined products moved daily through the strait — about one-fifth of global oil consumption.

Among Persian Gulf producers, only Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have pipeline routes bypassing Hormuz. Even those alternatives were already partly utilized.

According to Lloyd’s List, combined exports from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Oman via non-Persian Gulf ports averaged about 3.5 million barrels a day in recent months but have climbed to roughly 6 million — still far short of offsetting lost flows.

President Donald Trump said Friday the US Navy would “soon” begin escorting oil tankers through the waterway, though officials have not outlined a timeline or operational details.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, pushed back Sunday on suggestions Tehran was seeking talks, telling CBS’s Face the Nation: “We have never asked for a ceasefire … we are ready to defend ourselves for as long as it takes.”

Lloyd’s List estimates that even with naval escorts, no more than about 10 percent of lost volumes could realistically be restored — echoing the limited recovery seen after Houthi attacks in the Bab el-Mandeb.

The IEA said Thursday that disruptions have cut global supply by about 8 million barrels a day of crude and another 2 million barrels of condensates and natural gas liquids.

In response, its 32 member countries plan to release roughly 400 million barrels from strategic reserves over 120 days beginning next week, including about 172 million barrels from the United States and 80 million from Japan.

Even so, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sunday there were “no guarantees” oil prices would fall in the coming weeks.

Despite being only about five miles long, the island serves as the main hub for Iran’s crude oil exports and hosts military assets around the Strait of Hormuz.

Recent US strikes targeting military infrastructure on the island – while deliberately sparing its oil facilities – have underscored Kharg’s importance at the intersection of energy markets, maritime security and regional military strategy.

Iran’s oil lifeline

Kharg Island is the backbone of Iran’s crude oil export system. Energy analysts estimate that roughly 90% of the country’s crude exports pass through terminals on the island, making it one of the most critical pieces of economic infrastructure for the Islamic Republic.

Tanker tracking data shows that in 2025 the island handled about 96% of Iran’s crude exports, equivalent to roughly 1.54 million barrels per day out of a national total of about 1.6 million barrels per day.

The scale of Kharg’s infrastructure dwarfs other Iranian export facilities. The island’s loading terminals were originally designed to handle up to seven million barrels per day and can service eight or nine supertankers at once. More than 50 crude storage tanks on the island can hold over 34 million barrels.

Most of the crude shipped from Kharg arrives via pipelines from mainland oil fields in southern Iran rather than being produced on the island itself.

Other export facilities operate on a far smaller scale. Lavan Island can process roughly 200,000 barrels per day, with storage capacity of about 5.5 million barrels. Sirri Island provides around 4.5 million barrels of storage. The energy hub at Assaluyeh handles gas condensate rather than crude oil, meaning it does not function as a major oil export terminal.

Iran has also attempted to create alternative export routes outside the Persian Gulf. A terminal under development at Jask, on the Gulf of Oman, has a projected capacity of about one million barrels per day, but storage capacity there is only about two million barrels, far below the scale of Kharg.

For this reason, Kharg is widely considered to be the centerpiece of Iran’s crude export system. Much of the infrastructure and export data referenced here has also been highlighted in recent analysis by sanctions and financial analyst Miad Maleki on X.

A military hub in the Persian Gulf

Kharg Island is not only an economic asset but also an important military location.

Access to the island is tightly restricted and guarded by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The IRGC Navy maintains a presence there, including the 112th Zolfaghar Surface Combat Brigade, a unit operating fast-attack boats designed for asymmetric naval warfare in the Persian Gulf.

These vessels are typically equipped with anti-ship missiles, rockets and naval mines, allowing them to threaten commercial shipping or larger naval vessels operating nearby.

Military infrastructure around the island includes coastal missile launchers, radar systems, surveillance networks and drone facilities used to monitor activity across the northern Persian Gulf.

Iran’s regular navy, known as the Army Navy, also operates in the broader Bushehr–Kharg region, using helicopters and boats for maritime patrols and potential mine-laying operations.

Together, the IRGC Navy and the conventional navy maintain a presence that could pose risks to shipping lanes during periods of conflict.

The Strait of Hormuz factor

Kharg’s strategic importance is closely tied to the Strait of Hormuz, located southeast of the island.

The narrow maritime passage connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the wider Indian Ocean. About 20% of the world’s oil supply passes through this chokepoint every day.

Tankers carrying crude from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates all transit the strait before reaching global markets.

Although Iran itself contributes only 3–4% of global oil supply, its geographic position along the Strait of Hormuz gives it the ability to threaten a far larger portion of global energy flows.

Iran’s naval doctrine emphasizes the use of asymmetric tactics, including naval mines, fast-attack boats and anti-ship missiles.

Iran is believed to possess between 2,000 and 6,000 naval mines. Even a limited number could disrupt maritime traffic in the narrow waterway. Military analysts note that clearing mines is a slow and complex process requiring specialized ships, drones and helicopters.

Why the US struck Kharg

The United States early Saturday targeted military assets on Kharg Island as part of a broader campaign aimed at protecting maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

US President Donald Trump said American forces struck military targets on the island while deliberately avoiding its oil infrastructure.

“Moments ago, at my direction, the United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East and totally obliterated every military target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

Trump said the operation specifically avoided damaging oil facilities.

“Our weapons are the most powerful and sophisticated that the world has ever known but, for reasons of decency, I have chosen not to wipe out the oil infrastructure on the island,” he wrote.

The strikes targeted military equipment including missile boats, speedboats, launchers, drones and coastal batteries associated with Iranian forces stationed there.

The strategy appears aimed at removing threats to minesweeping operations rather than disrupting global oil supply.

Commercial tankers cannot be safely escorted through the Strait of Hormuz while facing missile, drone and mine threats from nearby Iranian bases. Neutralizing these capabilities allows specialized naval vessels and drones to begin clearing mines from shipping lanes.

Trump warned that the decision to spare Kharg’s oil facilities could change if Iran interferes with maritime traffic.

“Should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the free and safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision,” he wrote.

Oil exports continue despite strikes

Despite the military strikes, oil operations on Kharg appear to have continued.

Shipping data indicates that tankers have continued loading crude from the island’s terminals. One very large crude carrier (VLCC) was reported to have completed a two-million-barrel loading shortly after the strikes.

Satellite imagery showing flames on the island does not necessarily indicate damage to oil facilities. Gas flaring, a routine process used in oil operations, occurs regularly on Kharg and can appear as fires in satellite images.

Kharg has also demonstrated resilience in past conflicts. During the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, Iraqi forces repeatedly bombed the island and destroyed several storage tanks. Despite the damage, Iran continued exporting more than 1.5 million barrels of oil per day.

More than six decades after exports began there in 1960, Kharg Island remains both Iran’s primary energy gateway and a key strategic point in the security architecture of the Persian Gulf.

As long as a large share of the world’s oil continues to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the small island will remain one of the most consequential pieces of infrastructure in the region.

Speaking on Fox News Radio's The Brian Kilmeade Show, Trump said security forces loyal to the Islamic Republic routinely shoot demonstrators in the streets, making it difficult for unarmed civilians to challenge the regime despite growing pressure from the ongoing conflict.

“They literally have people in the streets with machine guns, machine-gunning people down if they want to protest,” Trump said, referring to Iran’s security forces. “That’s a pretty big hurdle to climb for people that don’t have weapons.”

Trump said that while change inside Iran will eventually happen, it is unlikely to occur quickly under such conditions.

“It’ll happen,” he said, “but it probably will be — maybe not immediately.”

The US president made the remarks while discussing the internal situation in Iran amid the escalating war between Iran, Israel and the United States. Trump argued that the regime maintains control largely through force, describing the security forces as an “evil group of people” who shoot protesters “right through the head.”

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps warned on Thursday that opponents could face a blow “even stronger than January 8,” signaling the possibility of a renewed and harsher crackdown if street protests resume.

More than 36,500 Iranians were killed by security forces during a two-day crackdown on nationwide protests on January 8–9.

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  IRGC threatens harsher crackdown if protests return

Trump said the presence of armed units on the streets makes it extremely difficult for ordinary Iranians to take action against the government.

“You’re talking about people that go out shooting protesters,” he said. “So when someone says go out and protest, that’s a pretty high standard.”

The comments came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the current conflict will create conditions for political change inside Iran.

Trump said continued military pressure on Iran's regime could weaken the authorities over time.

“They’re going to be in worse shape as time goes by,” Trump said, adding that US and Israeli strikes have severely damaged Iran’s military capabilities.

As has been widely reported, Russia has provided limited direct assistance to the Islamic Republic against its attackers, despite Tehran’s extensive military support to Moscow since 2021.

This contrasts with how Tehran supplied large quantities of armed drones and ballistic missiles to Russia in its war against Ukraine.

Some see the ongoing war as yet another example of Putin doing little to help longstanding allies, as occurred with the downfall of long-time Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad, the American abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and Russia’s lack of help to Tehran last year during the 12-Day War.

Moscow, though, has provided some help to Iran in this war. Russia has long supplied Tehran with surveillance and repression technologies used to prevent domestic unrest. This support may have contributed to the Islamic Republic’s ability to survive the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and many other top leaders—at least so far.

Moscow has also reportedly provided Tehran with intelligence support for Iranian drone attacks against targets including US troops in Iran’s Persian Gulf neighbours, Israel, Turkey, Azerbaijan and elsewhere. T

hese attacks may have been undertaken in hopes of giving some of America’s Middle East partners an incentive to press Washington and Israel to halt strikes on Iran so Tehran would stop targeting them.

Putin may also see enabling Iranian drone attacks against US military targets in the region as payback for earlier US support to Ukraine for its drone strikes against Russian military targets both in occupied Ukraine and Russia itself. Putin’s desire for retribution on this score should not be underestimated.

Yet as gratifying as this may be to Putin, it has also created a problem for Russia that he may not have anticipated. Ukraine has offered to share its considerable experience in defending against drone attacks with countries now receiving them from Iran—an offer many have welcomed.

Perhaps this helps explain why Moscow has denied sharing intelligence with Tehran. But regardless of Russia’s role, the attacks themselves have given targeted states reason to value Ukraine and its survival more highly than before—something that is not in Russia’s interests.

This points to a larger tension: while Moscow and Tehran are both strongly anti-American, their interests are not fully aligned. While Tehran may view all countries cooperating with the United States or Israel as adversaries, Moscow has long sought pragmatic relations with many of them and tried to split some from Washington on key issues.

This approach paid off in the willingness of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and even Israel not to enforce Western sanctions against Russia. The longer Iranian attacks continue, however, the less willing these states may be to cooperate with Moscow if they believe it is complicit or unwilling to restrain Tehran.

At the same time, Moscow may appear less useful to Iran’s post-Ali Khamenei leadership if Putin cannot pressure or persuade Donald Trump to end his war against Iran.

Putin also seeks to preserve as much of Trump’s sympathy as possible regarding Ukraine. He would not want to provoke renewed large-scale US military support for Kyiv by appearing to obstruct Washington’s campaign against Tehran.

To some extent, the US-Israeli war on Iran has benefited Putin by diverting Western attention from Ukraine. Hostile Iranian actions that reduce Persian Gulf energy flows and push global oil and gas prices higher also benefit petroleum-exporting Russia.

Moscow has also gained from Trump’s reduced pressure on India over purchases of Russian oil, helping stabilize global supply and prevent prices from rising even further.

The longer the war continues, however, the more it risks imposing greater costs than benefits for Moscow. Prolonged conflict could deepen Middle Eastern reliance on Ukraine against Iranian drone attacks, strain Russia’s relations with regional states wary of Tehran, and further weaken the Islamic Republic, making it less useful to Russia.

For Putin, the war’s advantages are real—but they are likely to diminish the longer it lasts.