Iran’s Kharg Island: Why is it a target of attack?

While serving in the Bangladesh Armed Forces, I was deputed to Kuwait on three separate occasions as a consultant in hyperbaric medicine.

I worked in a military hospital, and at the same time I also collaborated with Kuwait’s Special Forces, who were responsible for ensuring the security of numerous offshore oil rigs.

Kuwait has nine islands scattered across the Persian Gulf, and protecting those oil installations was one of our team’s major responsibilities.

During that period, I also took an interest in learning about the important islands of neighboring Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, along with their coastal facilities.

In one of my books, I later attempted to describe Kuwait’s nine islands in detail.

With the ongoing tensions and conflicts between USA, Israel and Iran, Iran’s Kharg Island has recently come into focus.

The US President Donald Trump warned Iran to ensure freedom of navigation for all countries within 48 hours; otherwise, Iran might face military strikes on Kharg Island. But why? Let’s understand some facts about the island.

Kharg Island, located in the Persian Gulf, is a small yet extremely important island of Iran.

It is often called Iran’s “economic lifeline,” because about 90 per cent of the country’s oil exports pass through its terminals.

Among the many islands in the Persian Gulf, Kharg is unique due to its natural freshwater sources, which allowed settlements to develop there since ancient times.

Although the island is only about 25 square kilometers in area, it has a population of about nine thousand people.

Kharg Island is not only important for economic and strategic reasons but also for its historical significance.

It is known as the “Pearl Island,” and historically, it has been a key commercial hub.

The island also contains ancient ruins, including temples, tombs, and stone inscriptions dating from around 550 to 330 BCE.

Kharg Island hosts one of the world’s largest offshore oil terminals. From here, oil is exported to international markets.

Analysts believe that if oil export operations from this island are disrupted, Iran’s economy could suffer severely, and global oil prices could become unstable.

The island lies about 25 kilometers (16 miles) off Iran’s coast and about 480 kilometers (300 miles) northwest of the Strait of Hormuz.

It has the capacity to store up to 30 million barrels of oil and handles a large portion of Iran’s petroleum exports.

Pipelines connect Kharg to Iran’s major oil fields. Before becoming a major oil terminal in the 1960s, the island was described by Iranian writer Jalal Al-e-Ahmad as the “orphan pearl” of the Persian Gulf.

Kharg Island has a long history of economic and political importance. For centuries, it was a major trading center.

From the 16th to 17th centuries, it came under Portuguese control, and later under Dutch influence. By the mid-18th century, Kharg was noted as a good source of pearls.

It served as an important stop for trading routes between India and the Persian Gulf. At that time, the economy relied on pearls, agriculture, and date production.

The Portuguese used Kharg as a trading post until 1622 and built forts there to maintain control over the region. The Dutch also occupied the island for a short period.

In the 20th century, Reza Shah Pahlavi used Kharg as a place of exile for political opponents, which slowed its development.

In 1956, construction of oil storage facilities began, along with a 360 km pipeline, transforming Kharg into a major oil export terminal.

In the 1960s, Iran settled maritime boundary issues with Saudi Arabia, officially integrating Kharg into Iran’s territory. Later, international oil companies helped expand the island’s facilities.

After the 1979 Iranian Revolution, oil facilities were nationalized. Despite wars and sanctions, Iran continued developing Kharg as a key export hub.

Kharg Island has long been a target during conflicts. During the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, it faced heavy bombing, and many facilities were damaged.

In recent times, Israel has reportedly considered strikes on the island, while the United States has also taken a strong stance.

On March 13, the US announced attacks on certain military targets in the region, although Kharg’s oil infrastructure remained largely intact.

On March 20, 2026, President Donald Trump warned that if Iran did not ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz within two days, Kharg Island could face military action.

Kharg Island is not just a small island – it is the backbone of Iran’s oil economy and a strategically critical location in the Persian Gulf.

This is why it frequently becomes a focal point in regional and global geopolitical tensions.

(The writer is currently working as Director, Medical Services,
BRB Hospital).