Iran Says Oil Infrastructure Unharmed After Reported U.S. Strikes on Kharg Island
Iranian media reported that oil facilities on Kharg Island were not damaged following the reported U.S. airstrikes early Saturday.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Iranian media reported Saturday that oil infrastructure on Kharg Island was not damaged following reported U.S. airstrikes on the strategic export hub earlier in the day, despite accounts of multiple explosions heard across the island.
According to Fars News Agency, which cited several sources, the island was attacked by the United States early Saturday morning, with more than 15 explosions reported during the strikes. The sources told the agency that none of the island’s oil facilities sustained damage during the attack.
Kharg Island, located off Iran’s southern coast, serves as a central node for the country’s oil export infrastructure. Iranian media reports emphasized that despite the scale of the explosions, the installations linked to the island’s petroleum operations remained intact.
In contrast, a report published by The New York Times cited an Iranian official who said the attack had halted a significant portion of Iran’s oil exports. The report described the strike as “massive and destructive,” quoting the official as saying the impact was “like an earthquake.”
The differing accounts emerged hours after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly acknowledged the military operation. Writing on the Truth Social platform early Saturday, Trump said he had ordered the strikes, which he described as one of the most powerful air operations conducted by the United States in the region.
“Moments ago, at my direction, the United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East, and,” Trump wrote in the post, add that the strike “totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island.”
Trump added that U.S. weapons used in the operation were “the most powerful and sophisticated that the World has ever known,” while asserting that the strikes targeted military facilities rather than oil infrastructure.
In the same statement, the U.S. president said the island’s petroleum facilities had been deliberately spared from destruction. He also issued a warning regarding maritime security in the region.
“For reasons of decency, 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 this decision,” Trump wrote.
Iranian media reports did not provide additional operational details about the strikes, including the specific targets on the island or the nature of the military facilities referenced in the U.S. statement. However, accounts published by Iranian outlets emphasized that the island’s oil infrastructure remained intact despite the explosions.
The reports also did not include confirmation from Iranian authorities regarding casualties, damage assessments beyond oil installations, or the operational status of other facilities on the island.
The New York Times report citing an Iranian official indicated that oil exports from the island had been disrupted following the attack, though it did not specify the duration or scale of the reported halt. Iranian state-linked media, meanwhile, maintained that key petroleum facilities had not been damaged.
Kharg Island is widely regarded as a critical export point for Iranian crude shipments, and developments affecting the island are closely monitored because of their potential impact on regional energy flows.
The U.S. president’s statement underscored that the strikes were directed at military targets while explicitly noting that oil infrastructure had been spared. His warning regarding navigation through the Strait of Hormuz referenced the strategic waterway through which a significant portion of global energy shipments passes.
No immediate official statement from Iranian government ministries regarding the reported damage or export disruptions was included in the reports cited Saturday.
Iranian media accounts nevertheless reiterated that the oil infrastructure on Kharg Island remained undamaged following the explosions reported during the U.S. operation earlier in the day.