President Donald Trump announced on Friday night (13) that United States forces bombed and “obliterated” Iranian military installations on the island of Kharg, Iran’s main oil export terminal and central point for the flow of the country’s production, including in operations used by Tehran to circumvent international sanctions.
According to Trump, the bombing, which he classified as one of the most powerful ever carried out in the Middle East, exclusively hit military targets on the island, described by the Republican as the “crown jewel” of the Iranian regime.
“Just moments ago, on my order, the United States Central Command carried out one of the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East and completely destroyed all military targets on Kharg Island,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social.
The president added that he decided not to target the island’s oil infrastructure, but warned that the decision could be reviewed if Iran tries to block the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic route through which around 20% of the oil transported in the world passes. The possibility of traffic interruption in the region is already causing tension in the global energy market and contributing to the recent rise in oil prices.
“If Iran, or anyone else, does anything to interfere with the free and safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider that decision,” said the Republican.
Kharg Island is considered the main bottleneck of the Iranian economy. Around 90% of the oil exported by the Persian country passes through the terminal located on the island, which serves as Iran’s largest oil storage and loading center. The structure has deep waters capable of receiving supertankers, which allows production to be sent to buyers abroad, mainly in Asia, where Iran has its largest oil buyer: China.
Even under sanctions imposed by the West, Iranian oil continues to be sold through evasion mechanisms, such as transfers between ships on the high seas and the use of tankers that operate outside of tracking systems. Analysts point out that the island of Kharg is the starting point for these operations, and is essential for the regime to maintain revenue in foreign currency.
The island was being protected by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, an organization directly linked to the Islamic regime and responsible for much of the security of the oil installations. The revenue obtained from oil exports from the site is considered essential to finance the military apparatus and maintain the functioning of the Tehran dictatorship.
“Iran has no ability to defend anything we choose to attack – there is nothing they can do about it. Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, nor will it have the ability to threaten the United States of America, the Middle East or, for that matter, the world,” Trump wrote. The Republican added that, after this US action, “Iran’s armed forces, and everyone involved with this terrorist regime, would do well to lay down their arms and save what’s left of their country, which isn’t much anymore.”
