What is the significance of Kharg Island, Iran's "crown jewel" bombed by the US?

Barcelona/LondonDuring the early hours of Saturday, the United States bombed Kharg Island, the nerve center of Iran's oil industry, from which it exports 90% of its crude. Donald Trump called them the "most powerful" attacks in the history of the Middle East and claimed they "annihilated" all military targets on the island, located in the northern Persian Gulf, about 25 kilometers off the Iranian coast. But what makes it such a strategic point? At only 20 km², Kharg concentrates the country's main oil export facilities, to the point that at certain times it has channeled nearly 90% of Iran's crude. Pipelines, storage facilities, loading terminals, and connections to onshore and offshore oil fields make the island a vital hub for the Islamic Republic's economy, which is heavily dependent on energy revenues. This economic importance explains its heavy militarization and vulnerability during times of regional escalation. According to reports from the Iranian regime this Saturday, at least fifteen explosions were heard, attributed to attacks on defensive bases and military installations. The damage inflicted on the "crown jewel" of Iranian oil, however, did not affect the oil infrastructure, as both US and Iranian authorities insisted. But Tehran has sent an unequivocal message: Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that they will respond to any attack on Iranian energy facilities with attacks on "facilities of US companies in the region." Indeed, Iran was quick to issue a warning. After the Revolutionary Guard said it would consider UAE ports, docks, and military installations as legitimate targets, drone debris struck oil infrastructure in Fujairah, UAE, causing a fire. The attack made it clear that "Tehran will not let Washington control the escalation or impose its will," Helima Croft, an analyst at RBC Capital, told Reuters. Beyond the military context, Kharg is also a place with its own distinct identity. It belongs to Bushehr province and is home to about 8,000 people, concentrated in the main town. It has a flat topography, with a maximum elevation of 70 meters. It has freshwater sources that have allowed for human settlements for millennia. The Iranian writer and sociologist Jalal Al-e-Ahmad (1923-1969) described it as "the orphaned pearl of the Persian Gulf," an image that encapsulates its uniqueness: a coral islet with a history spanning millennia, yet subjected to constant geopolitical pressure. Its discreet presence on the map contrasts sharply with its real weight in the region's energy and military balance.

Kharg Island's modern oil infrastructure was installed during the oil boom of the 1960s, when Iran under the pro-Western Shah spearheaded a massive expansion of its export capacity. The main projects—pipelines, loading terminals, and large storage facilities—were built by several international oil companies, particularly Western consortiums operating under concessions with the Iranian government of Reza Pahlavi.

According to various security analysts assessing the situation, the White House strategy would be to prevent Iranian crude oil from reaching international markets, especially in Asia, thus causing a drop in revenue that weakens Tehran's ability to sustain the war and maintain internal stability.

Call to keep the strait open

Precisely to prevent this and alleviate the energy crisis caused by the Iranian strategy, Donald Trump has called on international powers to send ships to the Strait of Hormuz. the key route through which a fifth of the world's oil and gas passesto keep it open. In a new post on Truth Social, Trump has remained persistent: "Whatever it takes, we will soon get the Strait of Hormuz open and safe and free," he wrote. He added that he expects China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK to send warships to the shipping channel so that Iran "can no longer be a threat." Meanwhile, he says, the US will continue "bombing the coast and continuously firing on Iranian vessels to drive them out."

The call, however, risks not getting the desired response. At this point, sending ships to escort oil tankers could be too dangerous, given that several vessels that have tried have been damaged. Iran has more than 5,000 naval mines in its arsenal, and according to intelligence sources, it is deploying them in the strait. The shipping lanes there are narrow (in some places only 60 km wide), so the conditions are favorable for Iran to create a minefield.

So far, the leaders who have responded to Trump have tempered expectations. President Emmanuel Macron has said that France is prepared to send warships to the Gulf, but "purely as an escort mission" and only when the "most intense phase of the conflict has ended." The United Kingdom, on the other hand, has merely stated that it is discussing with its partners its options for "ensuring the safety of maritime transport in the region."