Iranian officials warned that any attacks on its oil hub will result in regional oil and gas infrastructure tied to the US and its allies being 'set on fire and destroyed'
US President Donald Trump threatened on 14 March to strike Iran’s oil facilities on Kharg Island if Tehran continues to block the Strait of Hormuz, hours after US strikes allegedly “obliterated” the Iranian oil hub's military assets.
“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 this decision,” Trump announced via social media.
Two US officials told NBC News last week that Trump has privately expressed interest in deploying US troops on Iranian soil.
The warning came after US strikes on military infrastructure on Kharg Island – a Persian Gulf export hub handling about 90 percent of Iran’s crude shipments – which Trump said had “totally obliterated every MILITARY target,” describing the raid as “one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East.”
US Central Command (CENTCOM) later said the operation struck more than 90 Iranian military targets, including missile storage bunkers, naval mine facilities, and other defense installations.
Iranian state media reported that more than 15 explosions were heard during the assault but said the strikes targeted military facilities such as air defenses, a naval base, airport infrastructure, and helicopter hangars.
Officials in Tehran stated that the island’s oil infrastructure remained intact.
"Exports, imports, and the activities of companies on the island are proceeding normally,” Ehsan Jahaniyan, deputy governor of Bushehr province near Kharg Island, revealed, adding that oil shipments were continuing despite the US assault and that there were no casualties among civilians or military personnel.
Iran’s military issued its own warning following the attack, stating that if Iranian energy facilities are targeted,”all oil and gas infrastructure in the region in which the US and its allies have interests will be set on fire and destroyed.”
Kharg Island lies roughly 30 kilometers off the Iranian coast and serves as Iran’s main oil export terminal, handling around 90 percent of the country’s crude shipments and forming the backbone of its oil export network.
“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 this decision,” Trump announced via social media.
Two US officials told NBC News last week that Trump has privately expressed interest in deploying US troops on Iranian soil.
The warning came after US strikes on military infrastructure on Kharg Island – a Persian Gulf export hub handling about 90 percent of Iran’s crude shipments – which Trump said had “totally obliterated every MILITARY target,” describing the raid as “one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East.”
US Central Command (CENTCOM) later said the operation struck more than 90 Iranian military targets, including missile storage bunkers, naval mine facilities, and other defense installations.
Iranian state media reported that more than 15 explosions were heard during the assault but said the strikes targeted military facilities such as air defenses, a naval base, airport infrastructure, and helicopter hangars.
Officials in Tehran stated that the island’s oil infrastructure remained intact.
"Exports, imports, and the activities of companies on the island are proceeding normally,” Ehsan Jahaniyan, deputy governor of Bushehr province near Kharg Island, revealed, adding that oil shipments were continuing despite the US assault and that there were no casualties among civilians or military personnel.
Iran’s military issued its own warning following the attack, stating that if Iranian energy facilities are targeted,”all oil and gas infrastructure in the region in which the US and its allies have interests will be set on fire and destroyed.”
Kharg Island lies roughly 30 kilometers off the Iranian coast and serves as Iran’s main oil export terminal, handling around 90 percent of the country’s crude shipments and forming the backbone of its oil export network.
Tehran has effectively shut down the major waterway through which roughly 20 percent of global oil trade passes
Iran is considering allowing a “limited number” of oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz on the condition that the oil cargo is traded in Chinese yuan, CNN reported on 14 March.
A senior Iranian official told the US news outlet that Tehran is working on a new plan to manage tanker traffic through the strategic waterway on Iran’s southern coast.
Iran has effectively sealed off the strait, allowing only its own and Chinese ships to pass. Before the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran on 28 February, at least 20 percent of the world’s oil flowed through it.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it will attack vessels linked to “aggressor nations,” such as the Gulf states that allow the US and Israel to use their territory for attacks on the Islamic Republic.
Iran has effectively sealed off the strait, allowing only its own and Chinese ships to pass. Before the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran on 28 February, at least 20 percent of the world’s oil flowed through it.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it will attack vessels linked to “aggressor nations,” such as the Gulf states that allow the US and Israel to use their territory for attacks on the Islamic Republic.
The IRGC announced that the world should prepare for oil prices “reaching $200.”
Since Washington imposed economic sanctions on Moscow in 2022 following the start of the war in Ukraine, sanctioned Russian oil has increasingly been sold in rubles.
For years, China has used a covert, barter-style financial system to help pay Iran for oil, circumventing US sanctions. The system allows Iran to ship crude oil to China, while Chinese state-owned firms carry out infrastructure projects in Iran as payment.
Two tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) passed through the Strait of Hormuz early Saturday morning and are heading towards India, according to an Indian foreign ministry official speaking with CNN.
Iran’s ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, told India Today that Iran allowed Indian vessels to travel through the strait, without providing details of how they obtained permission.
India heavily depends on imported LPG and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from West Asia. The South Asian nation has experienced shortages of both fuels since the US-Israeli conflict with Iran started two weeks ago.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday, CNN noted. During the conversation, Modi reiterated that the “unhindered transit of goods and energy” remained one of India’s top priorities.
The UN has warned that restrictions on shipping through the strait could have dire effects on the world economy, including on food production.
“When ships stop moving through that Strait, the consequences travel fast,” said Tom Fletcher, the UN’s under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs.
“Food, medicine, fertilizer, and other supplies become harder to move and more expensive to deliver,” he added.
Along with surging oil prices, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused fertilizer costs to rise by up to a third. If the strait remains closed, reduced fertilizer use could lead to lower harvests and potential food shortages worldwide in the coming year.
Since Washington imposed economic sanctions on Moscow in 2022 following the start of the war in Ukraine, sanctioned Russian oil has increasingly been sold in rubles.
For years, China has used a covert, barter-style financial system to help pay Iran for oil, circumventing US sanctions. The system allows Iran to ship crude oil to China, while Chinese state-owned firms carry out infrastructure projects in Iran as payment.
Two tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) passed through the Strait of Hormuz early Saturday morning and are heading towards India, according to an Indian foreign ministry official speaking with CNN.
Iran’s ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, told India Today that Iran allowed Indian vessels to travel through the strait, without providing details of how they obtained permission.
India heavily depends on imported LPG and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from West Asia. The South Asian nation has experienced shortages of both fuels since the US-Israeli conflict with Iran started two weeks ago.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday, CNN noted. During the conversation, Modi reiterated that the “unhindered transit of goods and energy” remained one of India’s top priorities.
The UN has warned that restrictions on shipping through the strait could have dire effects on the world economy, including on food production.
“When ships stop moving through that Strait, the consequences travel fast,” said Tom Fletcher, the UN’s under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs.
“Food, medicine, fertilizer, and other supplies become harder to move and more expensive to deliver,” he added.
Along with surging oil prices, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused fertilizer costs to rise by up to a third. If the strait remains closed, reduced fertilizer use could lead to lower harvests and potential food shortages worldwide in the coming year.
For decades, most international oil has been traded in US dollars. The earnings from oil sales by Gulf countries, known as “petrodollars,” were mostly reinvested into the US economy through the purchase of sovereign bonds issued by the US Treasury.
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