What Is Kharg Island And Why It Matters (Images: X)
Kharg Island is at the heart of escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran. The island is located in the middle of the Persian Gulf, 25 km from Iran’s coast, and represents more than just some real estate, it is Iran’s oil industry backbone.
With up to 90% of its oil exports flowing through Kharg Island, this site is one of the most critical energy-related sites in the world. The island has full-service storage facilities for crude oil, pipelines connecting it to some of Iran’s largest oil fields, and deep waters to accommodate very large crude carriers for easy docking. Thus, any disruption to operations at Kharg Island could result in immediate disruption of the world’s oil supplies and prices.
Kharg Island is sometimes referred to as the “economic heartbeat” of Iran—as the vast majority of Iran’s revenues rely on the flow of oil through the small island. If Kharg Island were to be damaged, obstructed, or captured, Iran’s ability to export oil would reduce significantly, thus crippling the Iranian economy.
Kharg Island has always been very heavily defended, with Iran’s military having dual purposes for protecting it; first as a result of the ongoing conflict; and, second, due to concerns about potential attacks (or ground invasion) from other countries. In fact, an Iranian expert has suggested that mines, drones, and personnel have been deployed to the island to deter future aggressors.
Donald Trump has publicly indicated that an island such as Kharg could be very useful should the United States take the “oil in Kharg”, and, in turn, the United States could easily conquer this island if the need arose; thus, he believes that attacking Kharg should be a top priority for any US military operation against Iran.
More generally, US policymakers recognize that if the United States were to control Kharg, it would then dominate Iran’s main source of income (oil), which would provide the US with significant leverage in any ongoing negotiations with Iran or through inducing Iran to concede to U. S. demands when reopening the Strait of Hormuz (which is the primary shipping route through this region).
As a last consideration, U.S. lawmakers are factoring in Kharg as part of a larger strategy to apply pressure on the Iranian regime. In this regard, taking Kharg through either recommendation or coercive measures by the U.S. could be utilized to economically press Iran while sending a significant military signal.
Some sources maintain that controlling the island could help the U.S. to assure oil exports into and through the region and prevent any of Iran’s attempts to impede important shipping routes. President Trump has, however, publicly stated that if the U.S. can’t reach a deal with Iran regarding its nuclear program, the U.S. reserves the right to target Iranian oil production assets, specifically those on Kharg.
There are experts who feel that targeting Kharg poses high-risk interests to both U.S. and global interests. Any attack or operation on Kharg by either the U.S. or Iran could include an escalation of missiles, drones, or mass shipping operations in the gulf and lead to further regional instability.
In addition, there are also fears that any Iranian retaliation would involve the destruction of its own oil facilities and or the laying of minefields in nearby waters, which would likely exacerbate any unrest in the region. This could result in the disruption of almost 1 out of every 5 barrels of crude oil globally, resulting in skyrocketing oil prices and affecting national economies worldwide.
Kharg Island has recently become one of the Important flash point in the current violence. While it has many military strategic advantages, the risks associated with Kharg Island could create a global catastrophe as well.
Currently at the moment Kharg Island is under Iranian control, but it is important to note that there is a significant amount of troop build up and tensions between Iran and the Gulf states is rising, so it will be a critical area that is Factor for how this Possible Region Wide Michigan Crisis Plays out Going Forward.
Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
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