Washington DC:US President Donald Trump on Thursday again warned Iran of massive attacks during the night. Trump also announced that the US would take control of Iran'sKharg Island, a key to Iran's oil exports. In his Truth Social post, the US President said that the US would assume "total" control of Iran's "oil and gas markets", like it did with Venezuela last year.
"The United States will be hitting Iran (Whose Navy, Air Force, Radar, Anti Aircraft, and all other forms of Defense, together with most of its offensive capability, are GONE!), VERY HARD TONIGHT," Trump said.
"At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela, which is working out brilliantly for both Venezuela and the United States of America," he added.
In March this year also, the US attackedKharg Island. targeting every military installation. However, the oil infrastructure was not damaged.
Why Is Kharg Island Important For Iran?
Kharg is a small coral island in the Persian Gulf, roughly 7.7 square miles in total area, sitting about 27 miles off Iran's southwestern mainland coast and around 300 miles from the Strait of Hormuz.
Another point which makes the island all the more important for Iran is most of its coastline is too shallow for the very large crude tankers the oil industry depends on, but the island has deep waters.
Iran exports its crude by pumping it from its fields to Kharg Island, where it sits in storage tanks until it is loaded onto huge tankers. Oil tankers departing from the island's deep-water terminals sail south across the Persian Gulf, pass through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, and typically continue onward to Asian markets. China, in particular, ranks among the largest buyers of Iranian crude and remains one of its most significant customers.
Kharg Island is Iran's hub of crude oil exports. Crude extracted from fields across Iran is transported through pipelines to Kharg Island. Revenue generated from oil exports passing through the island is also believed to support Iran's military activities. Due to this, Kharg Island is not just an energy hub but also a strategic financial support for Iran's military and political power.
On a normal day, between 1.3 million and 1.6 million barrels of oil pass through Kharg. However, the figure climbed sharply in the weeks before the start of the war on February 28.
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