Kharg Island stays unscathed as U.S. avoids Iran’s vital oil export terminal

Kharg Island — the hub handling about 90% of Iran’s crude exports — has remained untouched despite thousands of strikes during the ongoing conflict. The five-mile-long island in the Persian Gulf typically transits 1.3 to 1.6 million barrels of oil per day and stores up to 18 million barrels, making it Tehran’s most vital energy outlet. Analysts warn that bombing the facility could wipe out nearly all Iranian export capacity and send global oil prices soaring. Even after more than 5,000 U.S. strikes, Washington has avoided hitting the terminal, reportedly treating attacks on Iran’s core oil infrastructure as a “doomsday option.”