US launches attack on Iran's Kharg island as Trump's deadline looms: US official

The U.S. military has launched an attack on Iran’s Kharg island, according to Axios reporter Barak Ravid on Tuesday, citing an unnamed “senior U.S. official.”

Kharg island is a major oil hub for Iran, and was attacked by the United States in mid-March with a “large-scale precision strike” that intentionally preserved the island’s oil infrastructure.

According to Ravid, the U.S. attack on Kharg island Tuesday was isolated to “military targets,” but comes amid purported peace talks between the Trump administration and Tehran, and just hours ahead of President Donald Trump’s 8 p.m. EST Tuesday deadline for Iran to lift restrictions on a critical shipping waterway, or face an unprecedented attack on its civilian infrastructure.

Trump has considered seizing Kharg island in the past, though such an operation, experts say, would be a logistical nightmare and likely result in “considerable American casualties.”

Tuesday’s attack may also potentially jeopardize the Trump administration’s efforts to negotiate a deal with Iran ahead of the president’s deadline Tuesday evening.