‘We may just do it without a deal’: Trump muses about new blockade in Strait of Hormuz, taking over Kharg Island
Ben Werschkul· Washington Correspondent
Updated Wed, July 8, 2026 at 10:50 PM GMT+5:30
2 min read
President Trump suggested on Wednesday that the apparent end of the ceasefire deal with Iran could quickly escalate and floated a return to a US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the US taking over the crucial Kharg Island oil hub, and new attacks
“We’ll probably hit them hard again tonight,” Trump said during an appearance in Turkey alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, adding later, “because they deserve it.”
“We may put it back,” the president said of the US blockade of the strait, which previously barred Iranian ships from transiting the waterway
Trump promised it would “only be a blockade for Iran,” but acknowledged that Iran’s own attacks on ships and apparent mining efforts remain a challenge for shippers
The US blocked Iranian shippers from April until last month, when the two nations signed a memorandum of understanding to open the crucial waterway and begin talks on other issues. Trump touted that blockade later on Wednesday during a press conference, saying, “Did you ever see a blockade work that way … we did great.”
The president’s bellicose remarks touched on another idea he has repeatedly floated since the war began: seizing Kharg Island, a seaport that handles up to 90% of Iran’s oil exports.
“We attacked Kharg Island last night,” Trump confirmed about Tuesday’s attacks. “I said don’t touch the oil because maybe we’ll take over Kharg Island.”
He suggested more attacks could come tonight but downplayed the potential for new economic problems, downplaying the price of crude oil passing $80 per barrel on Wednesday and saying of further military moves “anything that happens is going to be over very quickly and will only make it safer, including for oil.”
The president has often mused about seizing Iran’s oil infrastructure and described the reat times. He said in April that he would leave the island alone because “unfortunately, the American people would like to see us come home.”
The latest escalation follows Iranian attacks on three vessels in and near the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week. The US military responded on Tuesday night striking more than 80 targets, focusing on Iranian small boats that have been harassing ships
All in all, the president suggested that all military options are back on the table as relations with Iran continue to deteriorate.
“I don’t know if we are going to have a deal,” the president said of diplomatic talks. “We may just do it without a deal, because, you know what, it’s easier.”
This story has been updated with additional developments
Ben Werschkul is a Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance
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