Located a few dozen kilometers from the Iranian coast, the island of Kharg concentrates 90% of the country’s oil exports. After the American strikes on March 13 targeting military installations, this discreet territory has emerged as one of the most sensitive points in the war between Iran and its adversaries.
A small island at the heart of the Iranian economy
At first glance, Kharg Island looks like a simple scrubby islet in the Persian Gulf. However, this territory of approximately 25 km² constitutes Iran’s main oil terminal. Approximately 90% of the country’s crude oil exports pass through it before being loaded onto supertankers destined for international markets.
Oil extracted from Iranian fields is transported to the island by underwater oil pipelinesthen stored in huge tanks before being exported, mainly to Asia and in particular China, the leading buyer of Iranian crude.
The infrastructure is massive: Kharg has several jetties capable of accommodating supertankers and a loading capacity of up to approximately 7 million barrels per day.
For Tehran, the stakes are colossal. The oil sector represents one of the country’s main sources of income, generating almost 50 billion dollars per year. The stability of Kharg is therefore directly linked to the health of the Iranian economy.
American strikes on the island of Kharg
Until recently, the island had been relatively untouched by military operations. But the March 13American strikes hit several military installations on the site. According to Iranian sources, around fifteen explosions were heard, targeting in particular a naval base, the airport control tower and even defense infrastructures.
Donald Trump, for his part, claims to have “ completely destroyed » certain military installations. The Iranian authorities, however, assure that oil infrastructure was not affectedwhich could have caused a major energy crisis.
The attack nevertheless marks a turning point in the war. According to several analysts, targeting Kharg would amount to directly attacking the heart of the Iranian economy. Destroying its oil terminal could remove up to two million barrels per day from the global marketdisrupting international energy supplies.
Also read: Iran War: what impacts on the French wallet?
A strategic target… but risky
If Kharg constitutes an obvious military target, striking its oil installations remains a decision with serious consequences. Some Israeli political leaders openly accept this. Opposition leader Yaïr Lapid believes, for example, that the destruction of the oil terminal “would paralyze the Iranian economy and lead to the fall of the regime”.
But such an operation could also trigger a major regional escalation. The Revolutionary Guards have already threatened to attack the energy facilities of any US-related company in the region in the event of further strikes.
The consequences would not only be geopolitical: they would also be economic. Several analysts believe that the destruction of the site could increase the price of oil up to 150 dollars per barrelwhich would seriously destabilize global markets.
Kharg Island at the heart of the energy war
Beyond its modest size, Kharg has become a symbol of the energetic dimension of the conflict. It represents both Iran’s main source of income and one of its most obvious points of vulnerability.
For the United States and its allies, controlling or neutralizing this terminal could considerably weaken Tehran. For Iran, protecting the island amounts to defending its economic heart.
In this strategic standoff, Kharg now appears as one of the most sensitive points in the Middle Eastwhere each strike could upset both the regional military balance and global oil markets.
