“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, much like we have with Venezuela, which is working out brilliantly for both Venezuela and the United States of America,” he declared.

An operation to seize Kharg Island would be risky and mark an effective resumption of the war with Iran after a lengthy but fragile ceasefire.

Kharg Island has been the most tempting target for Israel and the U.S. since the war began on Feb. 28, with analysts floating its seizure or destruction as a possible death blow to Iran’s government. Tehran relies extensively on its oil exports for revenue, and Kharg Island processes roughly 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports.

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Trump struck Kharg Island’s military infrastructure as a warning earlier in the war, but has refrained from major strikes against its oil infrastructure over fears of global economic disruptions and escalation.

Discussions of any ground operations against Iran have largely focused on plans to take Kharg Island, but the risk to troops involved has kept the plans at bay. While the U.S. would have little problem seizing the island, it would put the occupying troops at risk of being targeted by sustained drone, missile, and even artillery strikes, almost guaranteeing casualties in a war that has seen remarkably few on the U.S. side.

The benefits, however, would also be immense. Iran’s economy, already under immense strain from the U.S. naval blockade, would come under existential threat. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps receives much of its funding from oil revenue from the island, leaving many of its fighters in financial jeopardy.

The island is located eight miles off the coast of Iran, connected by oil pipelines to the mainland. It is situated in the Persian Gulf, well west of the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. launched its first major strikes against Iran on Tuesday night, in retaliation for the downing of an Apache helicopter earlier in the week. The strikes saw 49 Tomahawk missiles hit military infrastructure across the country, including targets 40 miles from Tehran. U.S. Central Command said the strikes targeted “military surveillance capabilities, communication systems, and air defense sites” across Iran.

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Iran retaliated by announcing the complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz and launching missiles against Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait.

Trump gave mixed messages on Iran earlier in the week, but appeared to decisively sour against Tehran on Tuesday, saying that Tehran was tapping the U.S. along in negotiations.

“It was just tap, tap, tap. I don’t know what they’re doing, so they then shot at our helicopter, very expensive helicopter, by the way, but much more importantly, the two men,” he said. “We were really close to a deal, but they keep tapping us along. They keep playing us for suckers, because you know what, they dealt with some very stupid presidents.”