Kharg Island: How even the Portuguese, Dutch, and British empires failed to control a small island now in the US crosshairs

Kharg Island, a small strip of land in the Persian Gulf, has once again come into focus after the US signalled that it could target the island amid rising tensions with Iran. The warning has revived interest in a place that has repeatedly drawn global powers, and just as often slipped from their control. For centuries, Kharg has been more than just an island. It has been a strategic prize that empires tried to hold, but rarely managed to keep.

Why Kharg keeps returning to global headlines

Kharg’s importance is rooted in geography. It sits in deep waters in the northern Persian Gulf, allowing large vessels to dock, something not easily possible along much of Iran’s coastline. The presence of freshwater made it viable for settlement and trade long before oil reshaped its role.

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Today, the island handles a major share of Iran’s crude exports, turning it into a critical economic and strategic asset. Any threat to Kharg is effectively a threat to Iran’s oil lifeline.

Portuguese entry, but no lasting hold

The first European power to step onto Kharg was the Portugal in the early 1500s. As part of its wider push across the Indian Ocean, it sought to control trade routes passing through the Gulf.

Kharg became one of several outposts meant to support that ambition. But Portuguese influence across the region weakened over time due to resistance from regional forces and the arrival of competing European powers.

Their presence on the island faded without establishing durable control.

Dutch ambition meets local resistance

In the 18th century, the Dutch East India Company attempted a more structured approach. It secured control of Kharg through a deal with a local authority and began building a trading base.

The Dutch developed infrastructure, opened the island as a free port, and tried to position it as a commercial centre linking regional markets.

The effort did not last. Local opposition grew, and by the mid-1760s, a regional leader, Mir Muhanna, forced the Dutch out. The episode underlined how external powers struggled to maintain control in a politically fragmented Gulf.

British captured twice

The British East India Company and later British forces also turned to Kharg, but their involvement remained limited.

In the 19th century, Britain occupied the island during specific conflicts with Persia, using it as a forward position to secure wider strategic interests. These occupations were short-lived, and the British did not convert Kharg into a permanent base. British occupied Kharg island twice. In 1837, British forces briefly occupied the island to influence the Siege of Herat (Afghanistan theatre) and in 1856 Britain again occupied Kharg to pressure Persia after the Anglo-Persian war. Even at the height of British dominance in the region, the island remained outside long-term imperial control.

Kharg Island's history shaped by local power

A common thread runs through these attempts. Control over Kharg was not decided only by naval strength or economic power. Local rulers, shifting alliances, and regional conflicts often determined outcomes.

European empires could arrive with force, but sustaining their presence proved far more difficult.

How Kharg became important

Kharg’s transformation into a major oil export terminal in the 20th century made it far more valuable than in its trading past. It is now central to Iran’s energy network, with infrastructure designed to handle large-scale exports.

During the Iran-Iraq War, the island was repeatedly targeted in an effort to disrupt Iran’s economy. The attacks highlighted how critical, and vulnerable, Kharg had become.The current tensions involving the US, Iran and regional actors have brought Kharg back into strategic calculations. Any potential strike on the island would echo a long history where major powers identified its value and moved to control or disable it.

What stands out is not just its importance but its resilience in remaining under local control despite repeated external attempts.

A small island, a long memory

Kharg’s story stretches from early trade routes to modern oil geopolitics. The Portuguese, Dutch and British all recognised its importance. None managed to hold it for long.

Now, as global tensions rise again, the island finds itself in a familiar position, at the centre of attention from powerful nations, yet shaped as much by its past as by present-day conflicts.