‘LOCKED AND LOADED’: US Places Iran’s ‘Crown Jewel’ In Its Crosshairs
President Donald Trump says the U.S. is “locked and loaded” to wipe out Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub, but is holding fire for now.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump called Kharg the regime’s “crown jewel” and said American forces could take it out fast if Iran keeps pushing.
“We can do that on five minutes’ notice. We have it all locked and loaded and ready to go if we want to do it,” he said. “We chose not to do it. I chose not to do it again. We’ll see what happens.”
Trump signaled the warning is meant to squeeze Tehran back toward the table, saying the regime wants to “negotiate badly” but still isn’t prepared to meet U.S. demands.
“I don’t think they’re ready to do what they have to do. But I think they will be at some point,” he told reporters.
Iran, however, is trying to project defiance. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told CBS News on Sunday that Tehran hasn’t asked for a ceasefire or talks as the conflict enters its third week.
“We are ready to defend ourselves as long as it takes,” Araghchi said. “And this is what we have done so far, and we continue to do that until President Trump comes to the point that this is an illegal war with no victory.”
TRUMP: We attacked Kharg Island and literally destroyed everything on the island except the area where the oil is. We left the pipes. We didn’t want to do that, but we could do that on 5 minutes notice.
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 16, 2026
The remarks came after U.S. Central Command struck Kharg Island on Friday in a major precision attack under Operation Epic Fury. According to CENTCOM, the strikes hit more than 90 military targets, including naval mine storage sites and missile bunkers, while deliberately leaving the island’s oil infrastructure intact.
That distinction matters. Kharg isn’t just another dot on the map. It’s a key node in Iran’s ability to move crude out of the Persian Gulf and keep cash flowing to the regime, even as its military assets take a pounding.
Axios reported Trump has discussed the possibility of seizing Kharg outright, a move one U.S. official described as “an economic knockout of the regime” by choking off a major source of oil revenue.
But the White House knows the upsides come with real blowback potential. Taking the island could require U.S. troops and could invite retaliation, including strikes on oil infrastructure across the Gulf, particularly in Saudi Arabia.
“There are big risks. There are big rewards. The president isn’t there yet and we’re not saying he will be,” the official told Axios.
For now, Trump is keeping the option on the table, making clear the U.S. has the capability, and daring Iran to test his patience.
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