Trump Threatens Kharg Island Seizure as US-Iran Exchange Enters Day Two

President Trump announced via social media that the U.S. would seize Kharg Island — Iran's critical oil export hub — and 'other oil infrastructure points,' threatening to hit Iran 'VERY HARD TONIGHT,' per reporting from Politico, CNBC, and The American Conservative. Iran's IRGC claimed it struck the U.S. al-Azraq base in Jordan with 12 ballistic missiles in response to prior U.S. airstrikes. According to The Loadstar, the Strait of Hormuz is now 'definitely shut,' with container congestion already building at Saudi Red Sea ports Jeddah and King Abdullah. The World Bank, per Daily Sabah, cut its 2026 global growth forecast to 2.5%, citing the Middle East war as the primary driver, with a downside scenario of 1.3% if energy disruption deepens. The ECB responded with a 25bp rate hike — its first in nearly three years — specifically citing Iran-driven energy price inflation, per NHK.