US Strikes Iran’s ‘Most Critical’ Oil Hub Kharg Island as IRGC Declares Restraint Is Over
2 min readUpdated: Apr 7, 2026 05:26 PM Kharg Island, Iran’s key oil export hub, was hit multiple strikes on Tuesday, news agency Reuters reported, citing Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency, just hours before a deadline set US President Donald Trump for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz was set to expire.
A senior unidentified US official also confirmed that the US military conducted strikes on military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island, news agency Reuters reported, citing Axios.
Following the strikes, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that “restraint is over,” according to Metro UK. The attacks came a day after Iran rejected another US-backed ceasefire proposal aimed at ending the conflict, which has now entered its sixth week.
Why is Kharg Island Iran’s most critical oil export hub?
Kharg Island is Iran’s most critical oil export hub, handling the bulk of the country’s crude shipments. Located in the Persian Gulf around 50 km off the mainland, the small coral island serves as the endpoint for pipelines connected to some of Iran’s largest oil and gas fields. Experts say that nearly all of Iran’s oil exports pass through this facility, making it one of the most sensitive economic targets in the country.
The island also houses major storage and shipping infrastructure, including large oil terminals and petrochemical facilities. Its strategic importance is also linked to its deep-water access, which allows very large crude carriers to dock: something not possible along much of Iran’s shallow coastline.
Any disruption at Kharg could significantly impact global oil supplies, with analysts warning that a direct hit on export infrastructure could sharply push up crude prices.
So far, major oil facilities on the island have largely been spared in the conflict, reportedly to avoid destabilising global energy markets. However, even limited strikes near such a key hub are likely to raise concerns over supply disruptions and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil trade.
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