On the tenth day of a war that has pulled the United States and Israel against Iran, a familiar pattern of threat and counter-threat has come into view: Tehran's foreign minister warns that his country is ready for whatever Washington plans against its oil and nuclear sites, while the price of the world's energy climbs. The conflict is landing on ordinary lives through fuel, mortgages and savings, and the question hanging over it is whether a single island off Iran's coast, still untouched, becomes the next chapter. For now, the strait that carries a fifth of the world's crude sits closed, and
Araghchi Warns of 'Surprises' as US-Israel War on Iran Enters Day 10; Kharg Island Looms
"We, too, have many surprises in store."
Mark
Why does Kharg Island matter so much in this story?
Mimi
Because of the numbers attached to it. Axios reports it handles about 90 percent of Iran's crude exports, with loading capacity near 7 million barrels a day. And it hasn't been touched yet.
Mark
And the Strait of Hormuz sits behind it.
Mimi
Yes. Iran has closed the strait, which carries about a fifth of the world's crude. Oil is reported at $120 a barrel, with $150 possible if the closure continues.
Luke
Let me slow down on a few things. The Kharg plan comes from reports citing White House sources. Nobody on the record has confirmed the US intends to take it.
Mark
What about Araghchi's claim that the US is plotting against oil and nuclear sites?
Luke
That's his assertion. The source gives no evidence for it. It's a statement of what Iran says it believes.
Mimi
Trump's comments are on the record, though. He said a ground invasion is possible, maybe later, but not now.
Luke
Right, and that's a possibility, not a plan. Also, the $150 figure is a projection, and the doubling of oil prices is Araghchi's phrasing, while $120 is the reported level.
Mark
So what's the real hinge?
Mimi
Boots on the ground. Taking Kharg would require them, and so far that hasn't happened.
Luke
And what Iran's "surprises" actually are, nobody knows. He didn't say.
Il Polso
- Oil has climbed to around $120 a barrel after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, and analysts warn it could approach $150 if the closure drags on.
- Reports citing White House sources say Washington has weighed seizing Kharg Island, which handles roughly 90 percent of Iran's crude exports.
- Foreign Minister Araghchi has promised 'many surprises' for Washington and renamed the US campaign 'Operation Epic Mistake.'
- President Trump has not ruled out a ground invasion, saying 'maybe later,' while Tehran tells NBC it is 'waiting for them.'
- Araghchi is directly courting American public opinion, blaming Israel and its allies in Washington for rising gas prices and falling retirement savings.
On the tenth day of a war that has pulled the United States and Israel against Iran, a familiar pattern of threat and counter-threat has come into view: Tehran's foreign minister warns that his country is ready for whatever Washington plans against its oil and nuclear sites, while the price of the world's energy climbs. The conflict is landing on ordinary lives through fuel, mortgages and savings, and the question hanging over it is whether a single island off Iran's coast, still untouched, becomes the next chapter. For now, the strait that carries a fifth of the world's crude sits closed, and every party is waiting to see who blinks first.
On Monday, the tenth day of the US-Israel war on Iran, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X with a warning for Washington. He said Iran knows the United States is plotting against its oil and nuclear sites, and that Tehran is fully prepared, with "many surprises in store." He also gave the American campaign, "Operation Epic Fury," a new name: "Operation Epic Mistake."
In a second message, Araghchi spoke to the American public. He said Iran does not wish to harm ordinary Americans, and he blamed rising gas prices, costlier mortgages and battered 401(k)s on Israel and its allies in Washington.
The warnings came as reports, citing White House sources, suggested the US has considered seizing Kharg Island, about 24 kilometres off Iran's coast. The island handles roughly 90 percent of Iran's crude exports and has so far been spared in the fighting. Its oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has closed, cutting off about a fifth of the world's crude. Oil has reached $120 a barrel.
President Trump has not ruled out a ground operation, saying it could come "for a very good reason" and that "maybe we will" at some point. Araghchi told NBC that Tehran is "waiting for them" and confident it can confront American forces. The Kharg reports rest on unnamed sources, and the claim of a US plot is Araghchi's own. Watching now: whether the island stays untouched, whether the strait reopens, and whether Trump's "maybe later" becomes a decision.
On Monday, the tenth day of the US-Israel war on Iran, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi went to X with a warning aimed at Washington. Iran, he wrote, knows the United States is plotting against its oil and nuclear sites, in the hope of containing what he called a huge inflationary shock. His answer was short: Iran is fully prepared, and it has "many surprises in store" of its own.
Araghchi tied the warning to the economics of the conflict. He said oil prices have doubled and that commodities across the board are climbing. He also gave the American campaign, named "Operation Epic Fury," a new name: "Operation Epic Mistake."
In a second post, he addressed the American public directly. Iran, he said, does not want to harm ordinary Americans, who he claimed voted overwhelmingly to end involvement in costly foreign wars. He placed the blame for surging gas prices, costlier mortgages and battered 401(k)s on Israel and what he called its dupes in Washington.
His posts came amid reports, citing White House sources, that the US has considered taking control of Kharg Island. The island lies about 24 kilometres off Iran's main coastline. According to Axios, it handles roughly 90 percent of Iran's crude oil exports. It has so far been left untouched in the fighting. Its loading capacity is around 7 million barrels a day, and that oil then moves through the Strait of Hormuz.
The strait is itself at the centre of the story. Iran has closed it, and the waterway carries about one-fifth of the world's crude. Crude has reached $120 a barrel, and the report says it could approach $150 if the closure continues.
Seizing Kharg would mean American troops on the ground, a step that has not so far been taken. President Donald Trump, as reported by CNBC, has not ruled it out. He said a ground invasion could come "for a very good reason," and that if the US ever did it, the Iranians would be so decimated they could not fight at ground level. He added that "maybe we will" at some point, saying the US hasn't gone after it and wouldn't do it now, but maybe later.
Iran has said it is ready. Araghchi told NBC, "We are waiting for them," saying Tehran is confident it can confront American forces and that an invasion would be a big disaster for them. Separately, Iran has said its cooperation with Russia continues as the war intensifies.
The Kharg reports come from unnamed White House sources, and the Iranian claim of a US plot against oil and nuclear sites is Araghchi's own assertion. What to watch is whether the island stays untouched, whether the strait reopens, and whether Trump's "maybe later" becomes a decision.
Citazioni salienti
We are waiting for them. We are confident that we can confront them, and that would be a big disaster for them.— Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, to NBC
Maybe we will do it later, but a ground invasion would only be for a very good reason.— Donald Trump, as reported by CNBC (paraphrased)
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