4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Mar 14, 2026 09:18 AM IST
Kharg Island – a five-mile-long coral island in the Persian Gulf around 50 km from the Iranian mainland – has been “heavily bombed”. Almost all of Iran’s oil exports flow through that island and despite some 5,000 targets being targeted in that country since the start of the US-Israel military operation, Kharg had been spared so far.
In a post on Truth Social, US President Trump said military targets on Kharg Island had been “totally obliterated” in “one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East.” He said he had chosen not to target oil infrastructure on the island for now.
According to officials quoted by Reuters, only “military targets” on Kharg Island were targeted and the US Navy would soon begin “escorting tankers” through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Our Weapons are the most powerful and sophisticated that the World has ever known but, for reasons of decency, I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island. However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision,” Trump said in his post.
Importance of Kharg Island
Kharg Island is arguably Iran’s most sensitive economic target. The reason why this export terminal has remained untouched throughout the devastating US-Israel attacks is that bombing the site would likely trigger a sustained increase to already surging oil prices, as it would amount to neutralising almost all of Iran’s daily crude exports. With this attack now happening, the chances are that crude could move towards the $150 per barrel mark.
“No major Iranian oil & gas production, export facility has thus far been attacked. I believe it is a deliberate measure in the interest of stabilizing the oil price. It is partly a signal to Iran to reciprocate by refraining from attacking other countries facilities – which it has so far rebuffed. It is partly also a measure to keep the Iranian people on side in the days after the war, as Iran’s ability to produce and export oil and gas will be the foundation on which its economy can be revived,” a shipping expert told The Indian Express days before the strike.
American connection
Kharg is where pipelines from Iran’s oil fields in the middle and the west of the country terminate. Set up by a US oil conglomerate, American Oil Company or Amoco, it was seized by Iran during the 1979 revolution. Amoco continues to retail fuel brands under BP ownership.
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Kharg is particularly significant for Iran since most of that country’s coastline is too shallow for very large crude carriers to dock. Kharg is pretty close to deep waters and has jetties built in or its eastern shore.
On an average, around 1.5 million barrels of oil pass through Kharg on a daily basis, though Iran had sharply ramped up volumes to 3 million barrels a day in mid-February, according to the investment bank JP Morgan. This was in anticipation of a US-led attack. A further 18 million barrels are stored on Kharg as a backup, JP Morgan said in a note quoted by The Guardian.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
