Trump says U.S. forces destroyed military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island that handles oil exports

Trump announces U.S. military strikes on Iran's Kharg Island, emphasizing naval escorts for tankers to restore oil exports.

President Donald Trump said on Friday (March 14, 2026) that U.S. forces have “obliterated” military targets on Iran's Kharg Island and warned that the oil infrastructure there could be next.

The small island in the Persian Gulf is the primary terminal through which Iran's oil exports pass. Mr. Trump announced the action in a Truth Social post as he prepared to fly to Florida for the weekend.

“The United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East, and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island,” Trump said on social media.

“I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island. However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider.”

The island, located around 30 kilometers (19 miles) off the Iranian mainland, handles roughly 90 percent of Iran’s crude exports, according to a recent J.P. Morgan note.

Any move on the territory, which is about one-third the size of Manhattan, would have swift repercussions, experts said.