A satellite image shows an oil terminal on Kharg Island, Iran, February 25, 2026.
2026 Planet Labs Pbc | Via Reuters
American President Donald Trump said Friday that he had ordered U.S. Central Command to carry out a bombing raid targeting military targets on the Iranian island of Kharg.
“Moments ago, under my instructions, United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East and totally destroyed all MILITARY targets on Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island,” the president wrote in his message. a post on Truth Social.
He added that he had “chosen NOT to wipe out the island’s oil infrastructure.”
“However, if Iran, or anyone else, does anything to interfere with the free and safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision,” Trump wrote.
Less than an hour later, the president posted again on Truth, saying, “Iran had plans to take over the entire Middle East and completely annihilate Israel. JUST LIKE IRAN ITSELF, THESE PLANS ARE NOW DEAD!
Early Saturday, U.S. Central Command posted a video strikes against naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers and other military sites.
“US forces successfully struck more than 90 Iranian military targets on Kharg Island, while preserving oil infrastructure,” CENTCOM said in its message.
Trump on Saturday called on more countries to send warships to the Strait of Homuz to defend their oil interests there. In a society of truth job“I hope that China, France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and others, affected by this artificial constraint, will send ships to the region,” the president wrote.
In the same article, Trump claimed that “many countries will send warships” to help the United States keep the strait “open and secure,” without providing any details.
Speaking Friday evening, Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One for Florida that his military campaign would last “as long as necessary.” Asked by reporters how long the war would last, he replied: “I can’t tell you. I mean, I have my own idea.” He added: “I won’t give you a time but we are way ahead of schedule.”
Journalists also asked him what he meant by “unconditional surrender” and he replied: “To me, it means very simply that we are in a position of dominance that no one has ever seen before, whether or not they are able to say the words…”.
And early Saturday, Truth Social jobTrump said: “The fake media hates reporting how poorly the U.S. military has done against Iran, which is totally defeated and wants a deal – but not a deal I would accept!”
Analysts said the prospect of a US move to seize Kharg Island, a strategically vital hub often referred to as Iran’s “capital” “oil lifeline”, is considered an extremely high risk, both from a geopolitical and economic point of view.
The five-mile-long coral island, located about 15 miles off the coast of mainland Iran in the northern waters of the Persian Gulf, has been left untouched until now. almost two weeks strikes carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran.
The Trump administration considered seizing the island, according to a Axios Report on March 7, citing four anonymous sources with knowledge of the discussions.
White House officials have previously said they expect oil prices to fall dramatically once Operation Epic Fury ends, while White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president is “wisely” keeping all options on the table.
Kharg Island has been placed in the global spotlight as it is considered one of Iran’s most sensitive economic targets. The terminal accounts for around 90% of the country’s crude exports and has a loading capacity of around 7 million barrels per day.
Analysts say any attempted attack or seizure would require a ground troop operation, something the United States appears reluctant to undertake. An attack would also likely lead to a lasting increase in already rising oil prices.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has previously refused to rule out deploying US ground forces to Iran, but has said the US will not get bogged down in the country.
Friday, Brent Crude Oil Futures closed above $100 a barrel for the second day in a row, and the global benchmark oil price has surged more than 40% since the start of the Iran war.
—CNBC Riya Bhattacharjee and Terri Cullen contributed reporting.
