Donald Trump threatens to attack Kharg Island and Iran’s civilian infrastructure again tonight, while Iranian parliament members defiantly declare that no American soldiers will return alive.
On Wednesday, 8 July 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran’s civilian infrastructure during a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, following his announcement to end the ceasefire agreement with Iran at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.
"It could be a major attack, and it will destroy everything completely," Trump said during his talk with Zelensky outside the NATO meeting, specifically pointing to power plants. He added, "We will deal with those power plants. I don’t want to do it, but if necessary, we have to."
Trump also mentioned desalination plants, which are crucial for producing drinking water. "We will destroy them if necessary. I hate to do that, and it might be the last thing I want to do," he said.
Earlier, Trump named Kharg Island, a key center for Iran’s oil exports, describing his orders to the U.S. military: "We attacked Kharg Island the night before last, partially destroying it. I told them, ‘Don’t touch the oil because maybe we’ll take over Kharg Island.’ I ordered, ‘Don’t shoot the oil pipelines, destroy everything else,’ and they followed through. Tonight, they might strike again."
Meanwhile, Iranian politicians responded strongly to Trump’s threat to attack Kharg Island.
Ebrahim Raisi, spokesperson for Iran’s Parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, posted on platform X: "Come on, we are waiting for you, and we promise that not a single American soldier will return alive."
Ali Akbar Velayati, former Iranian foreign minister, warned about "this latest escalation" on X, stating that Iran had already cautioned that "this region is not a playground for the political gambles of small countries" and that Iran is "ready to pull the trigger to cleanse this region."
Trump’s aggressive stance follows reports that Iran attacked commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz multiple times over the past week, leading the U.S. to launch new strikes against Iran on Tuesday, while Tehran retaliated by attacking dozens of military targets across the Middle East.
On Wednesday, Trump also said the U.S. might reinstate a naval blockade against Iran in response to the ship attacks—a measure that had previously severely impacted Iran’s economy before being lifted after a memorandum of understanding was signed by both sides.
Currently, negotiations between the U.S. and Iran to reach a war-ending agreement are stalled, partly because Iran is holding funeral ceremonies for a former supreme leader assassinated by the U.S. and Israel. This rising tension makes the future of talks increasingly uncertain.
Follow international news:https://www.thairath.co.th/news/foreign
Source:CNN