The most powerful strike hits Iran’s crown jewel: what do we know about Kharg Island?
The U.S. president referred to it as Iran’s “crown jewel” and announced that it had been targeted by “the most powerful strike.” It is Kharg Island, which was struck by air raids carried out by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) early on Saturday morning.
Earlier on Saturday, Donald Trump confirmed that U.S. Central Command had conducted “one of the most powerful airstrikes in the history of the Middle East.”
Regarding the target of the attack, Trump stated during a press briefing that “the airstrike completely destroyed every military target on Iran’s Kharg Island,” adding that Tehran “has no capability to defend any target we choose to attack, and there is nothing they can do about it.”
The U.S. president also warned Iran, saying that “if Tehran attempts to obstruct navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, I will reconsider the decision to wipe out the oil infrastructure of Kharg Island.”
A U.S. official also told CNN that the American military had carried out “a large-scale strike” against Kharg Island but did not confirm whether all military targets there had been destroyed, as Trump claimed.
What do we know about the island?
Kharg Island, where the United States reportedly carried out a major bombing raid on Saturday, is “small but critical.” Iran exports around 90 percent of its crude oil to global markets through facilities located on the island, making it a significant economic chokepoint that could determine the outcome of any potential military confrontation between Washington and Tehran, according to the American newspaper New York Post.
The island, which stretches about five miles in length, lies in the Persian Gulf approximately twenty miles off Iran’s southwestern coast. Its location gives it immense strategic importance but also exposes it to military threats and makes it difficult to defend in the event of a large-scale conflict.
The island hosts an airport, oil terminals, and ports. Kharg Island serves as Iran’s primary oil export terminal, and its waters are deep enough to accommodate supertankers capable of transporting around two million barrels of oil.
This small piece of land in the Persian Gulf, whose area is less than one-third that of Manhattan Island, represents the most vital artery of Iran’s economy.
Experts have argued that any attempt to seize or attack Kharg Island would require a significant deployment of ground forces—an option the Trump administration has so far been reluctant to consider.
Kharg Island has long been regarded as a “red line” in U.S.–Israeli strategy toward Iran. During previous escalation cycles, including the twelve-day war last summer, Israel avoided striking the island despite targeting other sites deep inside Iran.
Economic importance
Mohammed Suleiman, a researcher at the Middle East Institute in Washington, believes that Iran losing control of the island—even temporarily—could trigger a series of simultaneous crises.
A disruption of oil exports from the island could mean the loss of billions of dollars in monthly revenue, accelerating the depreciation of the national currency and increasing inflationary pressures at a time when the Iranian government is already facing mounting economic challenges.
