- By Surarika Das
- Tue, 07 Apr 2026 06:54 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The US, on Tuesday, launched an attack on Iran's crucial oil hub, Kharg Island. The attack on Tehran's "crown jewel" has raised several concerns for the country. Although small, the island adds to at least 90 to 95 per cent of Iran's crude oil exports around the world.
Kharg Island, located in the Persian Gulf, is responsible for managing a significant part of the oil exports of Iran. The island remains crucial for the Iranian regime, given its favourable geographic and historic value. The coral island is one of the few water bodies with natural freshwater, supporting historical settlements and trade for a long time. Additionally, the island becomes critically important as most of Iran's coastline is shallow.
It is surrounded by US military bases in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, making it a sensitive point. According to experts, any sustained disruption here could significantly dent Iran’s oil revenues and ripple across global fuel prices.
Knowing the emerging threat amid the war, the island is highly guarded by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
What Would Happen If Kharg Gets Destroyed?
If the war comes near Kharg Island and damages it, the consequences could be severe for the world. As Kharg handles nearly all of Iran’s crude oil exports, its destruction would crumble Iran’s economy; the Islamic Republic would lose much of its exports. Without oil revenue, Iran’s intelligence and military apparatus would likely run out of money to sustain the war, say experts.
Every day, about 2 million barrels would be taken off the world market. According to analysts, oil prices could jump to $150 per barrel or more, driving up inflation worldwide.
What Is The Current Situation?
As the war continues, US President Trump has threatened Iran of targeting Kharg. He said, "Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options."
If the world power attacks Kharg Island, it would mean a direct attempt to block Tehran's oil exports and also weaken its hold over the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump has extended the deadline for Iran to reach an agreement or open the Strait of Hormuz from Monday to Tuesday. This is the most recent of multiple deadline extensions, and he has threatened that "Hell will reign down on them" if a deal is not reached.
Trump's earlier deadline was set for March 23, but during the next few weeks, it changed multiple times as the Republican president alternated between making strong threats, announcing delays, and declaring that the negotiations were going well—sometimes in the same statement.
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said on Monday that Iran rejected the most recent ceasefire request. Soon after, Trump hinted that Tuesday's 8 p.m. EDT deadline was final and issued a dire threat to Iran if it didn't submit.