Kharg Island is spread over only 20 square kilometers. In the 1960s, Iranian writer Jalal Al-I Ahmad called it the 'orphan pearl of the Persian Gulf'. In the same decade, the American company Amoco and  the then government of Iran (led by King Reza Pahlavi)  jointly built a large oil terminal here. After this, refineries were opened. Which made it

an important economic area of ​​Iran. With the success of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, its relations with the United States deteriorated. Then American oil companies left.

During the war between the United States, Israel and Iran that has been going on for the past 15 days, a bomb attack was carried out here on Friday.

There has been no immediate damage to the oil infrastructure here. However, US President Donald Trump has claimed that the military infrastructure has been destroyed.

'Under my direction, the US Central Command has carried out the most powerful bombing attack in the history of the Middle East. "Every military infrastructure on Kharg Island, considered the jewel of Iran, has been destroyed," he wrote on his social media account Truth Social, adding, "I have not attacked the oil infrastructure here. However, if Iran or anyone obstructs the free and safe movement of ships in the waters of Hormuz, I may reconsider this decision."

Iran's state news agency Fars quoted officials as saying that 15 explosions occurred here on Friday.

According to Reuters, about 4.5% of global oil exports come from Iran. 90% of this is processed in Kharg.

That is why it is also called Iran's lifeline. Due to US sanctions, many countries have stopped buying oil from Iran in recent years. China, on the other hand, has been increasing its dependence on Iranian oil.

Kharg Island is located in the Persian Gulf, 25 kilometers from the Iranian mainland. Millions of barrels of crude oil pass through pipelines daily from Iran's oil fields of Ahvaz, Marum, and Gachsaran. It is stored and processed as needed. It is then loaded onto ships and distributed to the rest of the world. Kharg Island is also strategically important. Controlling the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime route through which 20 percent of the world's oil flows, requires a strong Iranian military presence on this island. That is why Iran has invested heavily in military infrastructure here. Kharg was exporting large quantities of oil from Iran until a few days before the US-Israeli attack on Iran, Reuters reported, citing US investment bank JP Morgan. Although the volume decreased slightly after the war began, the unloading of oil tankers did not stop. Kharg has a storage capacity of about 30 million barrels, Reuters reported. According to global trade analytics company Kepler, about 18 million barrels of crude oil are stored here.

The US has warned that if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, it will also attack the oil infrastructure of Kharg. An attack on Kharg would cause great damage to Iran's already weakened economy.

Former US Army Brigadier-General Mark Kimmitt said that it would also have a major impact on the rest of the world. 'It is no longer just a matter of removing the army or removing the ruler. We are now trying to eliminate the economic life of Iran,' he said, 'The price of oil has already increased since the closure of Hormuz.  Now Kharg has increased the risk of war. If Iran attacks oil infrastructure in West Asian countries, oil prices will go out of control.'