Iran’s primary crude oil export hub, Kharg Island, was reportedly struck by Israeli forces on Tuesday, according to Iranian outlet Mehr.
The island handles the bulk of Iran’s oil exports, making it a critical target in the ongoing conflict.
The Israeli military confirmed a broad wave of strikes across Iran, describing them as attacks on “infrastructure sites” but did not specify locations. “A short while ago, the IDF completed a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting dozens of infrastructure sites belonging to the Iranian terror regime in several areas across Iran,” the military said in a statement.
The reported strikes on Kharg Island follow Tehran’s warning two weeks earlier that any attack on its southern coast or islands would trigger disruption of Gulf shipping routes through sea mines. Iran’s defence council had declared on March 23 that “any attempt to attack Iran’s coasts or islands will cause all access routes in the Gulf to be mined with various types of sea mines, including floating mines that can be released from the coast.”
Meanwhile, reports suggested the United States is weighing plans to occupy or blockade Kharg Island to pressure Iran into reopening the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping. The development highlights the strategic importance of Kharg Island in global energy supply and the potential for severe disruption in Gulf maritime routes.
