"Very hard tonight": Trump announces devastating Iran strike

President Donald Trump announced Thursday on his Truth Social network that the United States would strike Iran "very hard tonight," declaring that Iran's military capabilities had been largely destroyed.

"The United States will 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," Trump wrote.

The president went further, signalling American intentions to seize Iran's oil infrastructure. "At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets," he declared, drawing a parallel with US policy toward Venezuela, which he described as "working out brilliantly."

Kharg Island handles the vast majority of Iran's crude oil exports and would represent an extraordinary strategic prize, and an equally extraordinary escalation, if the US were to move to take control of it.

No immediate response from Tehran was available at time of publication.