U.S. forces carried out multiple strikes on Iran’s strategic Kharg Island — a crucial oil export hub — just hours before a deadline set by President Donald Trump.
The island, which handles roughly 90 percent of Iran’s crude oil exports, has been a focal point in the widening conflict as the U.S. presses Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face further action.
U.S. officials said the airstrikes targeted Iranian military installations, hitting bunkers, defensive sites, and other tactical assets — while U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance stressed this did not signal a change in overall U.S. strategy.
The strikes came ahead of an 8 p.m. ET deadline Trump imposed for Iran to agree to demands, including reopening the Hormuz shipping route that’s vital for global energy flows.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responded by saying that “restraint is over” and warning of retaliation that could extend beyond the region, potentially disrupting oil and gas supplies for a long period.
Kharg Island’s importance cannot be overstated: as Iran’s main oil export terminal, it stores millions of barrels and connects pipelines from inland fields to supertankers. Disruptions at the site could send shockwaves through global energy markets.
The U.S. has struck the island before in the conflict but had spared much of the oil infrastructure to avoid triggering wider market chaos — a key point of strategic restraint.
With diplomatic efforts stalled and Iran rejecting ceasefire proposals that don’t meet its terms, the situation remains highly volatile, and markets have already reacted to the threat of further escalation.
