Trump announced the attack on Saturday night in a post on Truth Social, saying the U.S. had bombed "Iran's crown jewel" - the oil island of Kharg - and that the bombing "completely destroyed every military target."
"I have chosen not to strike the oil infrastructure on the island. However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to impede the free and safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reevaluate that decision," Trump continued.
Normally, about a fifth of the world's oil and fossil gas is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. But since the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, traffic has been halted by Iranian attacks, sending oil prices soaring.
“A pile of ashes”
The pro-regime Fars news agency has reported at least 15 attacks on the island, targeting an air defense facility, the airport control tower, a naval base and a helicopter hangar belonging to an oil company. However, the oil infrastructure on Kharg has not been damaged, according to Fars. There are also no reports of injuries.
At noon on Saturday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) wrote on X that more than 90 military targets had been hit. These included bunkers used for missile storage, according to CENTCOM.
Iran's military, in turn, has threatened that oil and energy infrastructure belonging to companies cooperating with the United States "will be immediately destroyed and turned into a pile of ashes" if Iran's energy infrastructure is attacked.
Crude oil is handled on the island
Almost all of Iran's crude oil exports are handled on Kharg Island, about 30 kilometers from the Iranian mainland. Trump administration officials have previously said they might consider taking control of the island.
Major bank JPMorgan has said that a direct attack on the island would immediately limit the volume of Iran's crude oil exports, and that it would likely lead to serious responses in the Strait of Hormuz or against energy infrastructure in the area.
Trump further wrote that it would be smart for Iran's military and others involved in the "terrorist regime" to lay down their weapons. According to the president, Iran is "totally defeated and wants a deal - but not a deal I can accept."
The statement comes despite Iranian officials repeatedly saying they will continue to fight.
Facts: Kharg
Kharg is an Iranian island in the innermost part of the Persian Gulf and the country's most important oil port for supertankers. Approximately 90 percent of the country's oil exports pass through the port, making it one of the country's most sensitive military targets. In addition to the port, there is also a petrochemical industry. The island is 25 square kilometers in size and is the terminus for oil pipelines from the country's oil fields.
Before the ongoing war with the US and Israel, most of the crude oil from Kharg was exported to China.
Sources: NE, The Guardian
