Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened to strike Iran's entire national military and civil infrastructure, including energy systems, and send the country back to the Stone Age if Iran attacks Israel. ^[1] Tasnim, Iran's semi-official news agency, reported on September 5 that an Iranian tanker was hit by four U.S. missiles near the anchorage of Kharg Island, Iran, citing local sources that there were no casualties and the crew was being evacuated. ^[2] Israel Katz stated that an Iranian attack on Israel would free the country from all existing constraints and allow for a massive retaliatory response. ^[3] Israel Katz warned that Iran's economic pressure and fear of an uprising could drive the country to desperate actions, citing this as a reason for the threat. ^[4] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated during a visit to a military post in the Gaza Strip that Israel has 60 percent control of the area and is not planning to withdraw. ^[5] The Reuters article states that Iran is the third-largest producer in OPEC and exported 90% of its crude via Kharg Island before the war, but that flows have been disrupted since a U.S. blockade of Iranian oil exports began in mid-April. ^[6] U.S. President Donald Trump said on August 31 in a one-line social media post accompanied by an AI-generated video that Kharg Island was being 'blown to smithereens'. ^[7] U.S. President Donald Trump said on June 11 that he wanted to take over Kharg Island, and later said that a threatened U.S. military operation there was off the table for now, days before Tehran and Washington signed an interim agreement aimed at ending the war on June 17. ^[8]