by WorldTribune Staff / 247 Real News March 15, 2026
The raid on Iran’s Kharg Island ordered by President Donald Trump was a “checkmate” move on the new ayatollah’s regime, Texas Republican Rep. Michael McCaul said.
The island is home to Iran’s largest oil terminal and is a key hub for its oil exports.
“The attack on Kharg Island, which is a crown jewel, 90 percent of the exports out of Iran come from there. It is like a checkmate on the supreme leader,” McCaul told Fox News on Sunday.
He continued: “It was an absolutely brilliant military strategy. So the military objective is very clear, and it’s going very well. The president could declare victory there.”
Trump on Friday said the strikes “obliterated” military targets on the island but did not target any oil infrastructure at the hub.
McCaul said he believes that Americans will see “the price of gas go way down” once the U.S. achieves its military objective.
“I think, again, controlling Kharg Island, controlling Venezuela and the oil energy exports there, long term, we’re going have more control over energy in this world than we did before the invasion of Iran,” he said.
While reiterating that Iran must “surrender” to end the war, Trump also said he is hearing that Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, son of late leader Ali Khamenei, may already be dead.
“I’m hearing he’s not alive, and if he is, he should do something very smart for his country, and that’s surrender,” Trump said in a phone interview with NBC News.
Trump added he is unsure whether the Iranian leader is still living.“I don’t know if he’s even alive. So far, nobody’s been able to show him.”
The president also said Iran is seeking negotiations but that he is not ready to make a deal.
“Iran wants to make a deal, and I don’t want to make it because the terms aren’t good enough yet,” Trump said.
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