What is Kharg Island?: Kharg Island is a small Iranian island in the Persian Gulf that handles approximately 90% of Iran's crude oil exports, making it the country's most critical Energy infrastructure.Source: background
Why did the US strike Kharg Island?: US forces struck military positions on Kharg Island on 14 March 2026, targeting Joshen Sea Base and the airport control tower while sparing the oil terminal, as part of a broader air campaign against Iran.Source: event
Is the US planning to seize Kharg Island?: Pentagon planners confirmed active preparations in March 2026 combining a Marine amphibious assault with an 82nd Airborne follow-on, though no seizure order has been confirmed.Source: CBS News / Pentagon sources
How much of Iran's oil goes through Kharg Island?: Approximately 90% of Iran's seaborne crude oil exports pass through Kharg Island's terminals and single-point mooring buoys before reaching tankers bound for China, India, and other buyers.Source: background
What happened to Kharg Island in the Iran-Iraq War?: During the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88) Iraq struck Kharg Island more than 50 times. Iran repaired the terminal after each attack, demonstrating its strategic importance and Iran's commitment to keeping it operational.Source: background
Why is Kharg Island so important to Iran?: Kharg Island handles approximately 90% of Iran's seaborne crude oil exports; losing it would sever the revenue stream that funds Iran's government budget, IRGC operations, and regional proxy networks.
Did the US strike Kharg Island in 2026?: Yes; US forces struck military positions on Kharg Island on 14 March 2026, including Joshen Sea Base and the airport control tower, while deliberately sparing the oil terminal infrastructure.Source: Lowdown Iran Conflict 2026 U35
How much oil passes through Kharg Island per day?: Kharg handles roughly 90% of Iran's crude exports; Iran exported approximately 1.4-1.6 million Barrels Per Day before the 2026 conflict, almost all through Kharg.Source: NIOC / energy data

Background

Kharg handles approximately 90% of Iran's seaborne crude exports, the revenue from which funds state budgets, IRGC operations, and proxy networks across the region. US strikes on 14 March 2026 targeted the island's military positions, including Joshen Sea Base and the airport control tower, while deliberately sparing the oil terminal infrastructure. Pentagon planners subsequently confirmed active preparations to seize the island by force, combining a Marine amphibious assault with a follow-on 82nd Airborne Division drop. Iran responded by mining Kharg's beaches and fortifying its defences, while Speaker Ghalibaf threatened UAE infrastructure strikes if the island were taken.

Kharg Island sits 25 kilometres off Iran's southwestern coast in the Persian Gulf and is operated by the Kharg Oil Terminal Company, a subsidiary of NIOC. Nearly all tankers loading at Kharg must transit the Strait of Hormuz before reaching buyers, making the terminal the single greatest point of economic leverage over Tehran. The island was struck more than 50 times by Iraq during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War and rebuilt each time, establishing its strategic durability as precedent.

By April 2026, the terminal remained physically intact but operationally constrained: eight or more VLCCs were queued at anchorage near Kharg, and the OFAC General License U covering Indian purchases expired on 19 April. The first Iranian crude delivery to India under GL-U had been a 600,000-barrel cargo from Kharg in late March. The physical survival of the terminal while diplomatic channels remain blocked has become the central lever in negotiations over Hormuz governance.

Source Material

Explainer: Iran's oil exports and Kharg Island Iran — U.S. Energy Information Administration Persian Gulf Region — US Energy Information Administration Kharg Island — Wikipedia