Trump says the US bombed Kharg Island, responsible for 90% of Iran’s oil exports

Satellite image shows an oil terminal on Kharg Island, off the southwest coast of Iran, on February 25, 2026. Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS United States President Donald Trump said on Friday that American forces carried out a bombing raid against military targets on the Iranian island of Kharg in the Persian Gulf. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp The territory is considered strategic and accounts for around 90% of Iran’s oil exports. Estimates indicate that the region produces up to seven million barrels per day. Until then, the island remained untouched. In a publication in Truth Social, Trump said that the attack “completely obliterated” all military targets on the island, described by him as Iran’s “crown jewel”. According to the president, the United States decided not to target the oil infrastructure there. Trump, however, stated that he may reconsider this decision if Iran tries to interfere with the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz. In the message, Trump also declared that Iran “does not have the ability to defend anything the United States wants to attack” and reiterated that the country “will never have a nuclear weapon”. “The Iranian Armed Forces, and everyone else involved with this terrorist regime, would do well to lay down their arms and save what is left of the country, which is not much anymore,” he wrote. Analysts feared that the island would be the target of bombings. The destruction of oil assets could represent a financial collapse for Iran, in addition to impacting the global market. “A direct attack would immediately disrupt most of Iran’s crude oil exports, likely triggering strong retaliation in the Strait of Hormuz or against regional energy infrastructure,” US bank JP Morgan said in a note. The Iranian regime treats Kharg as one of the most sensitive points of the war. The Speaker of Iran’s Parliament, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, stated on Thursday (12) that “any US aggression against the soil of Iranian islands will lead to Iran’s ‘abandonment of all containment’” in the conflict. The third largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec), Iran earned around US$78 billion (R$406.5 billion) in oil and gas exports in 2024, despite severe US sanctions. The majority of production is destined for China. In this context, the island of Kharg acts as a pillar of the Iranian economy, receiving oil transported by pipelines from fields such as Ahvaz, Marun and Gachsaran. As the country’s main oil terminal, the island is also a source of revenue for the Revolutionary Guard, which militarily supports the regime. READ ALSO US sends 2,500 more marines and a ship to the Middle East amid the war against Iran, says agency US offers $10 million reward for information on Iranian leaders Arab Emirates arrests 45 people for filming and releasing videos during attacks in Iran VIDEOS: most watched on g1

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