Trump spares Iran oil, eyes ground campaign

Washington, July 15 (IANS) US President Donald Trump said he ordered American forces to spare oil installations on Iran’s Kharg Island because of their importance to the global economy, while refusing to rule out a ground campaign or the eventual seizure of the strategic export hub.

Trump told Fox News that the United States had attacked Kharg Island two or three times. But he said the strikes deliberately avoided its oil facilities.

“Hit everything but the oil. Just leave that little area from 25 yards out. Leave that little area. Don’t touch the oil,” Trump said, recounting his instructions to the military.

“Because I don’t want that in terms of the world economy. It’s a, you know, it’s a chunk of the world economy,” he said.

Trump said the United States could still attack the oil facilities but indicated that such a step was unlikely.

“So we haven’t hit that. At some point we could, but I think it’s unlikely,” he said.

The president also declined to say whether he intended to take control of Kharg Island. Fox News interviewer Trey Yingst cited comments Trump made in 1988, when he said he would seize the island if an American serviceman or vessel came under fire.

“So I, I can’t say that to you because if I did, it would be foolish, right?” Trump said when asked whether he still intended to take the island.

Trump, however, left open the possibility of seizing it if Iran’s military capabilities were weakened further.

“As far as taking it is concerned, if we degrade them far enough and deep enough back, uh, I would do that,” he said.

Asked whether he was ruling out a ground campaign in a limited capacity, Trump said he was not prepared to do so.

“Well, I don’t, I, I don’t wanna say that either, but I would say no,” he said. “I’d say sometimes you need a ground campaign, but we have other people that will do the ground campaign for us.”

Trump did not identify the other forces to which he was referring. He said the US military campaign had already inflicted damage that would take Iran two decades to repair.

“If we left right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild what they have,” he said. “The only way you can negotiate with these people is through strength. And the only strength is military strength.”

Trump said the strikes would continue at his discretion, adding that Iran still retained some capacity to fight.

“They’ll continue until I say, uh, it’s enough,” he said. “They have some fight left, but they don’t have much.”

Kharg Island lies in the Persian Gulf off Iran’s coast and has long served as the main terminal for the country’s crude oil exports. Disruption at the island could affect international energy supplies and prices, including the cost of crude purchased by major Asian importers such as India.

–IANS

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