Trump says U.S. forces destroyed military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island that handles oil exports

President Donald Trump said on Friday (March 13, 2026) that U.S. forces have “obliterated” military targets on Iran's Kharg Island and warned that the oil infrastructure there could be next. The small island in the Persian Gulf is the primary terminal through which Iran's oil exports pass. Mr. Trump announced the action in a Truth Social post as he prepared to fly to Florida for the weekend. “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 said on social media. “I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island. However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider.” #### No damage to oil infrastructure, says Iranian media No oil infrastructure was damaged in U.S. strikes on Kharg Island, Tehran’s crude export hub in the Gulf, Iranian media reported on Saturday (March 14, 2026). The Fars news agency, citing sources on the island, reported there had been no damage to oil facilities after President Donald Trump said U.S. strikes had destroyed only military targets. According to Fars, the U.S. operation “tried to damage the army’s defences, the Joshan naval base, the airport control tower and the helicopter hangar of the Iran Continental Shelf Oil Company.” The island, located around 30 kilometers (19 miles) off the Iranian mainland, handles roughly 90% of Iran’s crude exports, according to a recent J.P. Morgan note. Any move on the territory, which is about one-third the size of Manhattan, would have swift repercussions, experts said. “A direct strike would immediately halt the bulk of Iran’s crude exports, likely triggering severe retaliation in the Strait of Hormuz or against regional energy infrastructure,” J.P. Morgan said. Iranian strikes have all but halted maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz — through which a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas normally pass — and have also impacted oil infrastructure in other Gulf states. Mr. Trump on Friday (March 13, 2026) said the U.S. Navy would start escorting tankers through the straits “very soon” to restore oil exports as he struggles to tackle soaring U.S. gas prices. Kharg underwent key developments during Iran’s oil expansion in the 1960s and 1970s, with much of the country’s coast too shallow for supertankers. With inputs from AP, AFP Published - March 14, 2026 06:01 am IST ### Related Topics World / Donald Trump / USA / Iran / Israel-US strikes on Iran