Iran Kharg Island remains central to United States and Israel strategic calculations

Key facts

• Kharg Island is a coral island located 25 km off the Iranian coast in the Persian Gulf, serving as the country's primary crude oil export terminal.
• The facility handles approximately 90% of Iran’s crude exports and has the capacity to load up to 7 million barrels of oil per day.
• Developed in the 1960s with assistance from the United States (US) company Amoco, the terminal is connected to southern Iranian oilfields via subsea pipelines.
• Satellite imagery from the European Union (EU) Copernicus Browser showed a very-large crude carrier at the island on 2 March during the US and Israel military campaign titled Operation Epic Fury.
• The island is situated near the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy chokepoint that facilitates one-fifth of global oil shipments, primarily to Asian markets including China.
• White House energy adviser Jarrod Agen indicated that US strategic goals could involve seizing the island to restrict Iran's oil revenues.