President Trump said Friday that the U.S. launched punishing air strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island while sparing vital oil infrastructure as he pressed the country not to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump, in a statement, called the attack one of the “most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East,” and said only military assets were targeted on the island, a 5-mile strip of land that is home to Iran’s most important oil facility.
“I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island,” Trump said on social media. “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 this decision.”
The oil processing facilities at Kharg Island are a foundational component of Iran’s economy. Roughly 90 percent of Iran’s crude is processed at Kharg Island, and any disruption to its oil processing could cripple Iran’s economy.
The strategic purpose of the strikes on the island were not clear, but the threat of future strikes on oil infrastructure marks a significant escalation of the U.S. effort to secure the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has indicated he would send the Navy to escort ships through the critical waterway after Iran’s ships effectively closed it in response to the war.
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