Iranian media reported on Saturday that Kharg Island was targeted by airstrikes earlier on Friday. Field sources said more than 15 explosions were heard across the island, with thick smoke rising from several locations.
Sources added that despite the intensity of the blasts, none of the island’s oil infrastructure was damaged. No further details about possible casualties or other damage have been released.
Confirming the attacks, American President Donald J. Trump in a social media post stated: "Moments ago, at my direction, the United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East, and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island... Iran has NO ability to defend anything that we want to attack — There is nothing they can do about it!"
Trump announced that the United States military carried out what he described as the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East, claiming that American forces “totally obliterated every military target” on Iran’s crown jewel—Kharg Island.
He declared that the military “totally OBLITERATED every MILITARY target” on the island and emphasized that U.S. weapons are the most powerful and sophisticated ever developed. At the same time, he claimed he deliberately chose not to destroy the oil infrastructure on the island “for reasons of decency.”
He issued a stark warning: if Iran interferes with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the United States would reconsider that restraint.
Why Kharg Island Is the Crown Jewel
But Kharg Island is not just another patch of territory. It is one of the most critical nodes in the global energy system and the beating heart of Iran’s oil export economy.
The island sits in the northern part of the Persian Gulf and serves as Iran’s primary oil export terminal. For decades it has functioned as the main gateway through which Iranian crude reaches the world market.
At times, over 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports pass through Kharg Island. Massive storage tanks, loading terminals, and pipelines connect the island directly to oil fields deep inside Iran. Offshore, supertankers line up to load millions of barrels destined for markets across Asia and beyond.
Strike Kharg Island and you are not just hitting a military target.
You are threatening the economic artery that fuels the Iranian state.
The Strait of Hormuz — The World’s Energy Chokepoint
Trump’s warning also highlights the second layer of the confrontation: the Strait of Hormuz.
Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply flows through this narrow waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Any disruption—mines, missile strikes, drone attacks, or shipping blockades—would immediately ripple across global markets.
Oil prices would surge. Shipping insurance would skyrocket. Economies far from the Middle East would feel the shock within days.
That is why Kharg Island sits at the intersection of military power and global energy security.
The Oil Infrastructure Trump Did Not Strike
By declaring that the United States chose not to destroy the oil infrastructure on Kharg Island, Trump effectively revealed the ultimate pressure point.
The storage tanks, export terminals, and loading platforms remain intact—for now.
Those facilities represent an economic switch. Destroy them, and Iran’s oil exports collapse overnight. Leave them standing, and they remain a lever of geopolitical pressure.
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The Economic Consequence of Destroying Kharg
Trump also understands the danger of going further.
Destroying the oil depots on Kharg Island—or attempting to seize the island—could send oil prices skyrocketing. Such a shock would not only hit Iran; it would also severely impact the U.S. economy and global markets.
Kharg Island handles roughly 80–90 percent of Iran’s oil exports, making it one of the most sensitive energy hubs on the planet.
Any attempt to occupy the island would also expose U.S. forces to Iranian missiles, drones, and naval retaliation across the Persian Gulf.
The “Forbidden Island” — A Strategic Prize for 4,000 Years
Among Iranians, Kharg Island is often called the “forbidden island.”
Its importance stretches back thousands of years. Archaeological evidence shows human settlements there more than 4,000 years ago, and multiple empires recognized its strategic value as a maritime trading post.
The island sits about 25 kilometers off the Iranian coast and is capable of loading up to ten supertankers simultaneously. Access is tightly controlled and guarded by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Two factors made it Iran’s dominant export hub:
First, pipelines could easily connect the island to the massive oil fields of southwestern Iran.
Second, its deep-water location allows the docking of the largest oil tankers—something few other Iranian ports can accommodate.
War, Destruction, and Reconstruction
Modern development of Kharg began in 1956, when oil reservoirs were built there. In the 1960s, under the Shah, the island was expanded into a major export terminal with help from the American company Amoco.
By the mid-1970s, Kharg had three major oil terminals.
After the Iranian Revolution, those assets were nationalized.
During the Iran–Iraq War, Kharg became one of the most heavily bombed targets in the region. Iraq repeatedly tried to destroy the facilities because crippling the island would have economically strangled Iran.
Much of the infrastructure was damaged or destroyed—but Iran rebuilt it after the war and fortified the island heavily.
Today it is among the most defended locations in the country.
The Global Oil Market’s Most Dangerous Pressure Point
Few oil-producing countries depend so heavily on a single export facility.
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Mexico, and Venezuela all distribute their export capacity across multiple ports.
Iran relies overwhelmingly on Kharg.
That makes the island a pressure point without a clean trigger.
Analysts warn that if Kharg were destroyed, oil prices could surge to $150 per barrel or higher, triggering inflation and economic instability worldwide.
In the weeks leading up to the conflict, satellite imagery suggested Iran anticipated the threat. Storage tanks on the island were partially emptied and exports surged to near-record levels.
The island still stands.
And whoever decides whether it is struck or spared effectively holds a lever over the price of energy—and the stability of economies—across the entire world.
The Iran's revenge against US and Israeli economic interests I the middle east region are believed to be underway.
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