Iran Threatens to Attack US Oil Facilities in Retaliation
Iran has threatened to launch retaliatory strikes against American oil and energy facilities in the region owned by or in cooperation with the United States, should Washington attack Tehran’s oil infrastructure.
The warning was issued after US President Donald Trump announced air strikes on Kharg Island, Iran’s principal oil export hub. Iran’s official media reported the statement from the military command headquarters of Khatam al-Anbiya on Saturday, 14 March, local time. The threat emerged after Trump stated that the US had destroyed all military targets on Kharg Island and threatened to attack oil infrastructure if Iran continues to obstruct ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Kharg Island, which handles approximately 90 per cent of Iran’s crude oil exports, remained relatively untouched during the first two weeks of the conflict. However, US attacks on the island are predicted to escalate the conflict and potentially shake global energy markets.
“The stakes are now far higher. Beyond simply destroying the military and regime, the US is now seeking to strike at the lifeblood of Iran’s economy,” said retired US Army Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, citing CNN.
According to Kimmitt, the US is using the island as a “hostage” to ensure Iran does not close shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz. He warned that if Iran’s oil infrastructure is genuinely attacked, Tehran will retaliate by striking other energy facilities in the Middle East, with far worse implications for the global economy.
“At that point, oil prices will truly spiral out of control,” he said.
The US previously launched a massive air strike against Iranian military headquarters on Kharg Island, near the Strait of Hormuz. According to Trump, the strike was one of the most devastating in Middle Eastern history. During that operation, the US chose to avoid bombing Iran’s oil infrastructure on the island. However, Trump threatened to consider destroying oil infrastructure if Iran and its allies interfere with ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
“However, if Iran, or any other party, takes any action that disrupts freedom and safety of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, I will promptly reconsider this decision,” Trump added in a post on Truth Social.
Kharg Island is known as the centre of Iran’s oil exports. Most Iranian crude oil is loaded from the island before being shipped to purchasing nations. By striking military installations there, the US is believed to want to limit Iran’s capability to launch missile attacks against ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The US believes Iran uses Kharg Island to launch missile attacks against ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. By attacking military facilities on the island, the US signals that it can limit Iran’s ability to target vessels in the strait.
The threat to oil infrastructure at Kharg is also considered significant. If the facility is attacked, the impact could directly shake the global energy market, given that Hormuz channels approximately one-fifth of global oil trade.