Following unprecedented American airstrikes, US forces targeted military installations on Kharg Island, the hub for 90 percent of Iran's oil exports. Iranian state media claims energy infrastructure is intact, while the IRGC threatens to turn the region's economic assets to ashes.
Following days of unprecedented US and Israeli airstrikes aimed at dismantling the Islamic Republic's military capabilities, US forces have struck military installations on Kharg Island. According to dissident-leaning aggregator Vahid Online, US President Donald Trump published images of the assault on the island, which serves as the terminal for approximately 90 percent of Iran's crude oil exports.
Iranian state media, which strictly aligns with the regime's narratives, quickly moved to emphasize that the island's vital energy sector remains intact despite heavy bombardment. According to Vahid Online, state-run Fars News Agency acknowledged that over 15 explosions were heard during the overnight strikes, but claimed the attacks were isolated to military targets. The state news agency reported: "The enemy tried during these attacks to damage the army's air defense, the Joshan naval base, the airport control tower, and the Falat Ghareh helicopter hangar." State-run Mehr News Agency similarly assured the public that all oil industry workers on the island are completely healthy and unharmed.
In response to the strikes on Kharg Island, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a severe warning. The IRGC's Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters released a statement early Saturday threatening that any attacks on the Islamic Republic's oil, economic, and energy infrastructure will result in the military turning the oil and economic infrastructure of regional countries into ashes. This threat amplifies the ongoing regional energy crisis, arriving on the heels of the Strait of Hormuz's closure and global oil prices surging past $120 per barrel.
Military analysts are underscoring the immense strategic value and high operational risks surrounding the island. Epoch Times Persian, an outlet critical of the Iranian regime, reported that capturing the island could deal a fatal blow to the Islamic Republic's economic capacity. However, analysts warn that an invasion involves severe risks due to potential naval mining, the active presence of missile forces, and the island's proximity to mainland Iranian military bases.
The outlet further noted that any direct damage to the island's oil infrastructure would severely disrupt Iranian exports for a prolonged period, guaranteeing a further spike in global energy markets. Meanwhile, according to Vahid Online, 1988 remarks from Donald Trump are currently resurfacing across social media, where he stated regarding Kharg Island: "If it were up to me, I'd hit Iran hard."
Sources represent a mix of dissident aggregator content (Vahid Online) detailing regime media claims, and anti-regime analysis (Epoch Times Persian). Fars News and Mehr News are clearly labeled as state-run to contextualize their damage control narratives regarding the oil infrastructure. The translation of 'ashes' and 'enemy' is kept literal to preserve the regime's aggressive posture.