The US mentioned it struck military targets on the important thing Iranian oil export hub of Kharg Island, though the strikes didn’t goal oil amenities, in response to one US official.
Vice President JD Vance acknowledged the current US strikes on Kharg Island however mentioned they didn’t mark “a change in strategy” forward of President Donald Trump’s 8 p.m. ET Tuesday night time deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz.
The US had beforehand struck Kharg Island in March. US Central Command mentioned on the time that 90 targets had been hit, together with “naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites.”
Kharg Island, a coral outcrop off Iran’s coast, has been an financial lifeline for Tehran that handles roughly 90% of the nation’s crude oil exports.
Here’s what we know about the island:
What is Kharg Island?
Kharg Island is a five-mile stretch of land off the Iranian coast round a 3rd of the scale of Manhattan, described by US officers because the “nexus for all the Iranian oil supply.”
Its lengthy jetties jutt into waters which are deep sufficient to accommodate oil supertankers, making the island a vital web site for oil distribution.
The island has lengthy been key to Iran’s financial system. A declassified CIA doc from 1984 printed on-line mentioned the amenities are “the most vital in Iran’s oil system, and their continued operation is essential to Iran’s economic well-being.”
Alternative export routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz exist, however they’re restricted and haven’t been robustly examined on a big scale, in response to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
For instance, in 2021, Iran inaugurated the Jask oil terminal, permitting crude oil to be transported to Jask on the Gulf of Oman simply east of the strait, however the terminal will not be thought of a viable export possibility for Iranian crude, the IEA mentioned.
Storage capability on Kharg is estimated at roughly 30 million barrels and, in response to commerce intelligence agency Kpler, about 18 million barrels of crude are presently saved there, Reuters reported.
Last month, Israeli opposition chief Yair Lapid mentioned destroying the terminal would “cripple Iran’s economy and topple the regime.” He declared that Israel “must destroy all of Iran’s oil fields and energy industry on Kharg Island.”
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mentioned in March that “Iran’s enemies, with the support of one of the regional countries” have been getting ready to occupy one of many nation’s islands, with out instantly naming the island.
Iran laid traps and moved further military personnel and air defenses to Kharg Island in current weeks in preparation for a doable US operation to take management of the island, in response to a number of individuals aware of US intelligence reporting on the problem.
The island already has layered defenses, and the Iranians have moved further shoulder-fired, surface-to-air guided missile techniques often known as MANPADs there in current weeks, the sources mentioned.
Has the US attacked the island earlier than?
Yes. Trump mentioned in March the US had bombed “every military target” on the island and threatened to assault its oil infrastructure if Iran continued blocking ships from traversing the Strait of Hormuz.
Video posted to Truth Social and geolocated by CNN confirmed US strikes on the island’s airport amenities, with massive explosions and black smoke seen all through the footage.
Trump mentioned on the identical day that Kharg was “not high on the list, but it’s one of so many different things, and I can change my mind in seconds.”
But way back to 1988, many years earlier than he was elected, Trump has talked about invading the island.
“One bullet shot at one of our men or ships and I’d do a number on Kharg Island. I’d go in and take it,” he advised The Guardian in an interview on the time.
White House officers consider taking Kharg Island would “totally bankrupt” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in response to one official, and will probably result in a swift finish of the conflict.
But many contained in the administration are cautious of such a transfer, notably given it would require a big variety of floor troops to attain.
