President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. military had heavily bombed targets on Iran’s Kharg Island — a key hub for Iranian oil exports — and warned that Washington could strike the island’s oil infrastructure if Iran interferes with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump made the statements on social media following the attacks, calling the operation a major strike on Iranian military positions.
“The United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East, and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island,” Trump wrote, describing the raid as comprehensive and focused on military sites.
Trump added that he had deliberately chosen not to “wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island,” but said he would “immediately reconsider” that decision if Iran or any other actor disrupted the free and safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. and Israeli forces have reportedly been cautious around Kharg, but officials within the Trump administration have been said to consider options that include seizing control of the island as the wider Middle East conflict continues. Analysts warn any action targeting Kharg’s facilities would carry significant regional and global consequences.
Kharg lies roughly 30 kilometres (19 miles) off Iran’s mainland and, according to a recent JP Morgan note cited in the report, handles about 90% of the country’s crude exports. The island — about one-third the size of Manhattan — was developed heavily during Iran’s oil expansion in the 1960s and 1970s because much of the nearby coast is too shallow for supertankers.
Experts and the JP Morgan briefing said a direct strike on Kharg could immediately halt the bulk of Iran’s crude exports and would likely trigger severe retaliation in the Strait of Hormuz or strikes against regional energy infrastructure. Iranian strikes have already drastically reduced maritime traffic through the strait — through which roughly one-fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas normally pass — and have affected facilities in other Gulf states.
Trump also said the U.S. Navy would begin escorting tankers through the strait “very soon” to help restore oil exports as he seeks to address rising U.S. gasoline prices.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/iran-war-us-attacks-irans-kharg-island-says-donald-trump-11213221#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-03-14 05:18:00
