By: The Trek News Desk
U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that American forces carried out a major airstrike on military installations located on Iran’s Kharg Island. According to Trump, the operation destroyed all military targets present on the island.
In a post shared on the social media platform Truth Social on Friday, Trump said the United States Central Command conducted one of the most powerful bombing missions ever seen in the Middle East. He stated that the attack targeted strategic military locations on Kharg Island, which he described as a crucial asset for Iran, and that those targets were “eliminated.”
However, Trump clarified that the United States deliberately avoided striking the island’s oil infrastructure during the operation. At the same time, he warned that Washington could reconsider that decision if Iran or any other actor attempts to disrupt the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
Kharg Island lies in the Persian Gulf, roughly 30 kilometres off Iran’s mainland coast, and serves as the country’s primary oil export hub. Experts estimate that nearly 90 per cent of Iran’s crude oil shipments are processed through this small but strategically important island.
Analysts say that any large-scale military action in the area could have significant consequences for global energy markets. A direct strike on the island’s oil facilities could immediately disrupt Iran’s crude exports and potentially provoke retaliatory actions affecting the Strait of Hormuz or other energy infrastructure across the Gulf region.
Tensions in the region have already affected maritime activity through the Strait of Hormuz. Normally, about one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments pass through this vital shipping route.
Trump also indicated that the U.S. Navy may soon begin escorting oil tankers through the strait to ensure the safe movement of energy supplies and stabilise oil exports.
Kharg Island gained strategic importance during the expansion of Iran’s oil industry in the 1960s and 1970s. Because much of Iran’s coastline has relatively shallow waters that cannot accommodate large supertankers, the island has developed into a key terminal for the country’s oil exports.
Source: News Agencies
