Iran’s Kharg Island hit by US attacks on over 50 military targets as Middle East war intensifies

Kharg Island, Iran’s most critical oil export hub in the Persian Gulf, has reportedly been hit by multiple strikes, Reuters reported citing Mehr News, marking a sharp escalation in an already tense standoff with the United States. Axios reported, citing an unidentified senior US official, that the US military conducted strikes on military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island.

Kharg Island accounts for almost 90 per cent of Iran’s oil exports. Large portions of Iran’s mainland coastline are too shallow to accommodate big tankers, making the island a crucial gateway for the country’s energy shipments.

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The island’s location, directly opposite US military bases in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, leaves it vulnerable during periods of heightened conflict. The recent strikes come after Iran’s move to close the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit chokepoint, which has further unsettled energy markets and contributed to volatility in oil prices.

Despite being a small strip of land, its strategic value is immense. Positioned in deep waters off Iran’s coast, the island can handle large oil tankers, making it indispensable for crude exports. Its access to freshwater historically supported settlements and trade, well before it evolved into the backbone of Iran’s oil infrastructure.

Tensions had already been building after US President Donald Trump issued a series of increasingly aggressive warnings targeting Iran’s critical infrastructure, including Kharg Island and desalination facilities that supply drinking water.

In remarks to the Financial Times, he said, "Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don't. We have a lot of options."

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Additionally, in a Truth Social post on March 30, Trump warned that the US would obliterate "all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinisation plants!), which we have purposefully not yet touched.'"



The rhetoric escalated further on Easter Sunday, when Trump wrote in an expletive-filled post that Iran would face, "Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one,” adding that “you'll be living in Hell” unless the strait reopens.

The developments come alongside a final deadline issued by Washington. Trump has set an “8:00 PM deadline” (Washington time, Tuesday night) for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning that failure to comply would trigger a large-scale bombing campaign targeting “each and every one” of Iran’s electric generating plants and bridges.