Iran Warns UAE of Strikes on Energy, Nuclear Facilities Amid Potential U.S. Moves Near Kharg Island
Iran’s Fars News Agency, which is aligned with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), published a list of strategic Emirati energy sites identified as potential military targets.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Islamic Republic of Iran has issued a strong warning to the United Arab Emirates, stating it would target the country’s energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities if there are any U.S. military movements toward Kharg Island.
Iran’s Fars News Agency, which is aligned with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), published a list of strategic Emirati energy sites identified as potential military targets. The agency emphasized that if the United States deploys forces to Kharg Island or conducts ground operations in the region, Iran would respond with missile strikes on key power stations, including Al Taweelah, Jebel Ali Power and Desalination Plant, and Mohammed bin Rashid, as well as the Barakah nuclear power plant.
Kharg Island is a five-mile stretch of land off the Iranian coast, roughly one-third the size of Manhattan. U.S. officials describe it as the "nexus for all the Iranian oil supply."
Its long jetties extend into waters deep enough to accommodate oil supertankers, making the island a critical site for oil distribution.
The island has long been essential to Iran's economy. A declassified CIA document from 1984, published online, stated that the facilities are "the most vital in Iran's oil system, and their continued operation is essential to Iran's economic well-being."
The warning comes amid longstanding tensions between Tehran and Abu Dhabi, particularly over sovereignty disputes involving the islands of Greater and Lesser Tunbs, as well as Abu Musa. The UAE has consistently called for the return of these islands, describing them as “occupied” after they were taken under Iranian control in 1971, just two days before the UAE declared independence.