Donald Trump has threatened to obliterate Iran’s Kharg island if a deal isn’t reached ‘shortly’ between the 2 nations.
The US president told The Financial Times over the weekend that he was considering whether American forces could seize the island in the course of the ongoing conflict.
Nevertheless, this afternoon, Trump has gone further in his comments, and threatened to destroy it.
In a post on Truth Social, he wrote: ‘Great progress has been made but, if for any reason a deal shouldn’t be shortly reached, which it probably will probably be, and if the Hormuz Strait shouldn’t be immediately “Open for Business,” we are going to conclude our lovely “stay” in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have now purposefully not yet “touched.”’
But what exactly is Kharg Island? And where is it?
We unpack the mysterious islet on the centre of Trump’s mind.
What’s Kharg Island?
Kharg Island is the first terminal that handles Iran’s oil exports and is so small (five miles long and three miles wide) it’s smaller than the world of Westminster, in London.
It handles as much as 90 per cent of Iran’s oil products and provides storage facilities for as much as 30 million barrels of oil.
The US president has previously threatened to strike oil infrastructure on Kharg Island unless attacks on vessels on the Strait of Hormuz ceased.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned the energy infrastructure of US allies within the Middle East will probably be ‘reduced to ashes’ if Iranian energy assets were attacked.
It said oil and energy assets of any countries cooperating with the US can be ‘immediately destroyed’ within the event of more attacks on the country’s energy sites.
In a social media post, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker for Iran’s Parliament, previously said the regime ‘will abandon all restraint’ if the islands come under attack and Trump will probably be accountable for ‘the blood of American soldiers’.
Oil prices have swung sharply on Trump’s changing comments in regards to the likely duration of the war, which began on February 28.
It’s had huge consequences across the worldwide energy and stock markets, and economists are waiting for any sign that US strikes had damaged the island’s intricate network of pipelines, terminals and storage tanks.
Even minor disruptions could further tighten global supply, adding pressure to a volatile market. Experts have warned of a devastating economic impact internationally if the Iran war continues.
Where is Kharg Island?
It’s situated 16 miles off the coast of Iran and 300 miles northwest of the Strait of Hormuz.
It’s sometimes called the ‘Forbidden Island’ since it’s so distant from the mainland of Iran and its severe security in place.
Why is it so essential?
It provides a serious income for the IRGC, and, if it’s destroyed, it could have massive repercussions on Iran’s ability to conduct the war.
It also provides vital oil exports to other nations, equivalent to China.
If Trump decided to strike the island, it will also mark a serious escalation that might provoke even heavier retaliatory attacks on Gulf Arab infrastructure and further drive up oil prices.
Based on Petras Katinas, research fellow in climate, energy and defence within the Europe office of the Royal United Services Institute, should Trump seize or destroy the island, it will have huge consequences for Iran.
‘Seizing the island would cut off Iran’s oil lifeline, which is crucial for the regime,’ he previously told The Telegraph. ‘In fact, with shipping via the Strait of Hormuz now stopped, they can not sell oil anyway, but looking ahead, seizure would give the US leverage during negotiations, regardless of which regime is in power after the military operation ends.’
A U.S. occupation of the island would put also put American troops in a stationary position just 21 miles (33 kilometers) off Iran’s coast, well inside range of its arsenal of drones and missiles.
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