LIVE NEWS FEED — US bombs Iran’s vital Kharg Island
March 13, 2026 in News by RBN Staff
Source: Telegraph.co.uk
The island is considered Iran’s most critical economic asset
KEY MOMENTS
Donald Trump has said that the United States has “totally obliterated” military targets on Iran’s vital Kharg Island.
In a post on Truth Social, the US president claimed that American forces had “executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East”.
Kharg Island, located about 17 miles off the northwest coast of Iran, is the backbone of the country’s oil industry, handling approximately 90 per cent of its crude exports.
Commonly known among Iranians as the “Forbidden Island”, Kharg is shrouded in secrecy and heavily guarded by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It is widely regarded as Iran’s most sensitive economic asset.
Mr Trump threatened to target the island’s oil infrastructure if the Iranian regime continues to “interfere” with ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz nearby.
“The United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East, and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island. 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.”
Experts have warned that bombing Kharg Island’s oil facilities could push surging prices even higher, as it would effectively remove the entirety of Iran’s crude exports from the market.
Israeli strike in Lebanon kills 12 medics
An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon killed a dozen medical staff at a clinic, Lebanese health authorities said on Saturday.
Twelve doctors, paramedics and nurses working at a healthcare centre in the town of Burj Qalawiya were killed.
The attack came as Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said on Friday his group was ready for a long confrontation with Israel.
“We have prepared ourselves for a long confrontation, and God willing, they (Israelis) will be surprised on the battlefield,” Mr Qassem said in his second televised address since the latest war began.
“This is an existential battle, not a limited or simple battle.”
US mulls capture of Kharg Island
The capture of Kharg Island is potentially on the table, according to reports citing US officials.
The US president said earlier this week that seizing the island’s fuel depot was not “high on the list” of priorities in his war on Iran.
However, in an interview with Fox News Radio on Friday morning, he said: “It’s one of so many different things, and I can change my mind in seconds.”
