Live: Trump threatens US will hit Iran 'very hard' and take Kharg Island

live Iran war live updates: Donald Trump threatens the US will hit Iran 'very hard' and take Kharg Island Donald Trump has said the US will hit Iran "very hard" today as he threatened to take over the key oil hub of Kharg Island in the "not too distant future". Indirect talks between the two sides have intensified, Iranian sources and Western officials have said, despite a worsening of hostilities in the Gulf. Follow live. Submit a comment or question Live updates New: Filters Choose what information you see below by using filters Fri 12 Jun 2026 at 2:37am Iran's Red Crescent mobilised after 'enemy threats' Iran's Red Crescent humanitarian aid agency says it has "mobilised" across the country, after Donald Trump's latest threats to continue carrying out strikes. It cited "enemy threats" as the reason for its mobilisation. The Red Crescent, like the Red Cross, is a volunteer-run organisation that provides first aid. Key Event Fri 12 Jun 2026 at 2:33am Iran's top negotiator warns of 'endless quagmire' The speaker of Iran's parliament, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, has taken to X in the last hour to warn of an "endless quagmire" and more turmoil on global energy markets. Ghalibaf, who is also the chief negotiator for Iran at peace talks, does not name who he is referring to or trying to address, but one can reasonably assume it is Donald Trump. "Wrong strategies and impulsive decisions will reset the entire board for the worse, explode energy infrastructure and markets and create an endless quagmire that you will be stuck in for years," he writes. "You will see a different Iran." Key Event Fri 12 Jun 2026 at 2:21am Trump's latest statements on Iran As the world waits to see what happens next, let's cast our eyes back over what the US president has said in the past few hours. He's made several statements both on his Truth Social platform and on US cable news over the course of Thursday, that offer an insight into what his priorities and intentions may be. Speaking on Fox News on Thursday morning, US time, Mr Trump said he wanted to take the vital Kharg Island, which hosts a major Iranian oil facility. "My preference has always been to take Kharg Island," Trump told the host of Fox and Friends. "I don’t know that America has the stomach for it to be honest. "I don’t want to have boots on the ground … But if I wanted to we could put a small group of soldiers and take over the place." Meanwhile, on his Truth Social platform he said the US would "be hitting Iran (Whose Navy, Air Force, Radar, Anti Aircraft, and all other forms of Defense, together with most of its offensive capability, are GONE!), VERY HARD TONIGHT." He said the assault on Kharg Island could happen "in the not too distant future". Key Event Fri 12 Jun 2026 at 1:46am Welcome to our coverage of the Iran war Here is where we're at as we launch a fresh blog for Friday, June 12: - Donald Trump is once again threatening to hit Iran "very hard tonight". - The US president says he also wants to take Iran's oil infrastructure hub, Kharg Island. - The head of Iran's parliamentary national security committee, Ebrahim Azizi, tells state media the US president would receive a stronger and more painful response if he made any "uncalculated" move. - Meanwhile, three Iranian sources say indirect talks between the US and Iran have intensified in recent days despite the deteriorating situation. - The UN is calling for the situation in Lebanon to be resolved as Israel and Hezbollah continue to clash in the country's south. Stay with us as we bring you the latest.