An Iranian oil tanker was struck by US forces on Saturday near Kharg Island, the principal oil export hub of Iran located in the Persian Gulf, as reported by the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim, cited by Reuters.
According to a Tasnim correspondent on Kharg, the tanker was hit by four US missiles in the anchorage area of the island.
Sources quoted by Tasnim stated that there were no casualties, and the crew of the tanker was in the process of evacuation.
Iranian authorities have yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident, and the US Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
Trump’s Threats
On August 31, US President Donald Trump posted on social media, accompanied by an AI-generated video, that Kharg Island had been “reduced to rubble.” Iranian authorities promised a strong response in the event of an attack on Kharg Island.
Iran is the third-largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, exporting 90% of its crude oil through Kharg Island before the war. However, these flows have been disrupted since mid-April due to the American blockade on Iranian oil exports.
Trump stated on June 11 that he wished to take control of Kharg Island but later clarified that a US military operation in the area was not currently being considered, just days before Tehran and Washington signed a provisional agreement intended to end the war on June 17.
An American attack on Kharg Island would further pressure the Iranian oil industry and the country’s economy, which is already struggling due to the US-imposed naval blockade.
The US imposed the blockade on Iranian ports after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil supply flowed before the war.
