President Donald Trump said Monday that striking oil infrastructure on Kharg Island is still on the table after the United States carried out strikes against military targets at that location earlier.
Speaking at the White House, Trump said US forces could destroy the oil facilities on Kharg Island within five minutes but have chosen to hold off to preserve the option of rebuilding the country in the future. He added that the decision to spare those facilities might change.
On Friday, Trump said the US had bombed military sites on Kharg Island while deliberately avoiding damage to the island's oil infrastructure. He warned Iran's leaders that the US approach could be reconsidered if they took actions that interfered with ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The strait has been effectively closed since the US-Israel war on Iran began late last month.
Trump said US forces demolished everything on the island except the section containing oil infrastructure, which he described as "the pipes." He said the US had not wanted to target those facilities initially but would do so if necessary.
The president also said that US forces destroyed Iran's mine-laying ships, an action he indicated would assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz. About 20% of the world's energy supplies pass through this waterway.
Trump said he expected the strait to reopen soon and reiterated his appeal for other nations to help secure maritime passage. He said some countries had told him they were prepared to assist, though with varying levels of enthusiasm.
Kharg Island sits roughly 25 kilometers off Iran's coast and handles about 90% of Iran's crude oil exports, with the bulk of shipments going to China. Iran exports roughly 1.3 million to 1.6 million barrels per day, with most of that volume leaving through Kharg Island. A strike on the island's oil facilities would likely remove those barrels from the market.
Context and immediate implications
The remarks underline that while military targets have been the focus to date, energy infrastructure remains a declared option for future action. Statements that the oil installations could be destroyed quickly serve as a public signal that the United States retains a range of tactical choices tied to maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz.
Because Kharg Island accounts for a large share of Iran's crude exports and because a substantial portion of global energy supplies transits the nearby strait, damage to the island's oil facilities would have direct implications for oil flows that currently originate there.
The situation remains fluid: US officials say military targets were struck and mine-laying vessels removed, but the decision to avoid oil infrastructure so far is a conscious policy choice that may be reversed.