President Donald Trump claimed on Saturday that American airstrikes had effectively destroyed Kharg Island, Iran’s largest oil export facility, as the United States continued its military campaign against Tehran entering its third week. Speaking in public remarks, Trump said the US might hit the island further and indicated he was not ready to negotiate with Iran because the terms were not good enough. His comments came as the US pressed forward with additional bombing runs across Iran throughout Saturday.
Kharg Island, located about 15 miles off Iran’s southwestern coast, serves as the principal terminal through which Iran exports the vast majority of its crude oil. Its destruction or sustained damage would have profound consequences for global oil markets already reeling from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The strait, through which around 20 percent of global oil and gas flows, had been blocked by Iran since fighting began on February 28, causing prices to surge sharply.
Iran struck back on multiple fronts. Ballistic missiles targeted the UAE, hitting near Fujairah’s major oil port and prompting Iran’s military to urge civilians to evacuate the area. Iranian officials threatened to attack any Gulf facility connected to American companies and called on Arab governments to expel US military forces from their territory. Iran’s foreign minister framed the conflict as one of American aggression and said the US security presence in the region had been “inviting trouble rather than deterring it.”
In a series of social media posts, Trump called on China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz to join an American-led effort to reopen the passage. Observers noted this was the first time Trump had indicated publicly that the US might not be able to reopen the strait on its own. The USS Tripoli and 2,500 additional marines were already en route to the region, though officials said their mission could include a wide range of operations beyond an amphibious assault.
Casualties from the multi-front war continued to accumulate. Iran reported at least 1,400 to 1,800 dead from relentless airstrikes. An Israeli strike on an Isfahan factory killed at least 15 people. Six American troops died in an aircraft crash in Iraq. The US embassy in Baghdad was struck by missiles, triggering an evacuation advisory. In Lebanon, the conflict against Hezbollah had killed over 800 people and displaced nearly a million. Trump offered no timeline for an end to hostilities, and analysts warned that failure to wind down the war quickly could trigger a severe global economic downturn.
Trump Says US Strikes Have Effectively Destroyed Iran’s Kharg Island Oil Hub
