HIBAPRESS
Statements made by Donald Trump nearly 38 years ago have resurfaced, as press archives revealed the American president's vision towards strategic Iranian sites since the 1980s, specifically regarding Kharg Island, the main artery for Iranian oil exports, which was bombed by the American army on Friday.
Activists and analysts circulated excerpts from an interview published by the British newspaper "The Guardian," conducted with Trump in 1988, which shed light on his early political ambitions and his stance on international issues. In that interview, Trump criticized what he described as the "weakness" of American dealings with Iran at that time, emphasizing the need to adopt a more decisive approach. Trump said: "I will be tough on Iran. They are defeating us psychologically and making us look like a bunch of fools. If they fire one shot at our men or ships, I will take military action against Kharg Island. I will enter and take control of it." He added at the time that "confronting Iran would be a good thing for the world." Kharg Island holds great strategic importance for Iran, making it a valuable American target in the war that has been going on for two weeks. The island, where American forces destroyed military targets on Friday, represents a center for about 90 percent of Iranian oil exports, amid the possibility that Tehran will respond to this attack. On Friday, Trump said on social media platforms that the United States "completely destroyed all military targets" in Kharg, and threatened to target oil infrastructure if Iran continues to obstruct navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Data from "Tanker Trackers .com" and "Kepler" indicate that Iran, which increased its oil production in the period preceding the war launched by Israel and the United States on February 28, continued to export crude oil at a rate of between 1.1 million barrels and 1.5 million barrels per day. The markets are monitoring any indication that the air strikes have damaged Kharg's complex network of pipelines, ports, and tanks. (Sky News)
