- Explosions were reported on Kharg Island, a key oil export hub near Hormuz Strait
- Strikes occurred hours before the US deadline for Iran to reach a ceasefire deal
- Axios cited a senior US official saying US military struck targets on Kharg Island
Explosions have been reported on Kharg Island, an important oil export hub near the Strait of Hormuz, on Tuesday, according to semi-official Iranian news agency Mehr. The strikes come hours before the deadline set by US President Donald Trump for Tehran to reach a ceasefire deal with Washington and to open the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the US struck more than 50 targets on Kharg Island.
Trump warned that failure to comply will result in a simultaneous, massive bombing campaign aimed at "each and every one" of Iran's electric generating plants and bridges.
Meanwhile, Axios has reported, citing a senior US official, that the American military conducted strikes on military targets on the island.
US strikes on Iran's Kharg Island do not represent a change in American strategy, US Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday. A US official separately told Reuters the additional strikes on military targets did not impact oil infrastructure.
Trump's Kharg Island Threats
Trump has threatened to bomb or seize the island multiple times. On March 30, Trump wrote on Truth Social, "We will conclude our lovely 'stay' in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!)," he wrote.
Trump had previously signalled the possibility of action against the facility. In comments to the Financial Times, he said, "Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don't. We have a lot of options."
On Monday, Trump said that he was upset with the Iranian government and that they are "going to pay a big price for that."
Israeli Military Strikes Sites In Iran
The Israeli military in a statement said that it had completed a broad wave of strikes targeting "infrastructure sites" across Iran on Tuesday. However, it did not provide details of what the sites were.
"A short while ago, the IDF completed a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting dozens of infrastructure sites belonging to the Iranian terror regime in several areas across Iran," the military said in a statement.
Kharg Island's Importance
Kharg Island handles nearly 90 per cent of Iran's oil exports. Much of the Iranian mainland coastline is too shallow for large tankers, which makes the island essential for the country's energy trade.
The location of the island, opposite US military bases in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, leaves it exposed in any heightened conflict. The latest strikes follow Iran's decision to close the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's busiest oil transit routes, which has added to the turbulence in energy prices.
