Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
The war involving Israel, Iran, and their regional allies entered its fifteenth day with a dramatic escalation after the United States launched airstrikes on Iran’s strategic Kharg Island, a critical hub for the country’s oil exports, while Hezbollah warned Israel to expect “surprises on the battlefield” as the conflict deepens.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced Saturday that American forces had carried out powerful airstrikes targeting military facilities on Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf, describing the operation as one of the most significant aerial assaults in the region’s history.
In a statement posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump said U.S. Central Command had “completely destroyed every military target on the Iranian crown jewel, Kharg Island.” He emphasized, however, that Washington deliberately avoided striking the island’s oil infrastructure, despite its central role in Iran’s economy.
“Our weapons are the strongest and most advanced the world has ever known,” Trump wrote. “But for reasons of fairness, I chose not to destroy the oil infrastructure on the island.”
Trump warned that the decision could change if Iran interferes with maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy shipping routes.
“If Iran or anyone else does anything to hinder the free and safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will reconsider that decision immediately,” the U.S. president said.
The American strikes came as Israel reported an extensive wave of military operations inside Iran. Israeli military officials said more than 150 targets had been struck across the country, including facilities used for storing ballistic missiles in western and central Iran.
Iran, however, signaled it was intensifying its retaliation. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said that Tehran launched what it described as the most intense attack on Israel since the beginning of the war, according to the Iranian news agency Tasnim.
Iranian military command at the Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters said the strikes targeted military installations and locations believed to house Israeli leaders, along with other strategic sites in several cities including Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Caesarea.
The exchange of strikes reflects the increasingly direct confrontation between Israel and Iran, raising fears among analysts that the conflict could spiral into a prolonged regional war involving multiple armed groups and state actors.
Hezbollah signals readiness for a long war
Adding to the tensions, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said the Lebanese group was preparing for a long confrontation with Israel and hinted at unexpected developments on the battlefield.
“We have prepared ourselves for a long confrontation, and what will happen in the field may surprise Israel,” Qassem said in remarks delivered Friday evening.
He added that Hezbollah’s involvement in the conflict was framed as defending Lebanon rather than acting on behalf of any external party, though Israel and its allies have long argued that the group operates as a key arm of Iran’s regional military strategy.
Kharg Island: the heart of Iran’s oil economy
The American airstrikes have drawn particular attention because of Kharg Island’s critical importance to Iran’s oil industry. Despite its relatively small size, the island serves as the primary export terminal for Iranian crude oil.
Located roughly 25 kilometers off Iran’s southern coast in the Persian Gulf, Kharg Island is a coral outcrop covering roughly one-third the area of Manhattan. Yet it handles approximately 90 to 95 percent of Iran’s crude oil exports, making it one of the most strategically important energy hubs in the Middle East.
Each day, millions of barrels of crude oil from major Iranian fields including Ahvaz, Marun, and Gachsaran flow through pipelines to storage facilities and loading terminals on the island. From there, the oil is shipped worldwide aboard massive supertankers that dock at long deep-water piers capable of accommodating the largest vessels in the global fleet.
Among Iranians, Kharg Island is sometimes referred to as the “forbidden island” because of the heavy military presence and strict security surrounding the site.
A declassified U.S. Central Intelligence Agency document from 1984 described the island’s export facilities as “the most vital element in Iran’s oil system,” noting that their continued operation was essential to the country’s economic stability.
Analysts say any major disruption at Kharg Island could have sweeping economic consequences. Iran currently supplies roughly 4.5 percent of the world’s oil, producing about 3.3 million barrels of crude per day along with roughly 1.3 million barrels of condensates and other petroleum liquids, according to estimates cited by Reuters.
The island’s storage capacity is estimated at around 30 million barrels, with roughly 18 million barrels currently held in tanks there, according to global trade analytics firm Kpler.
Despite the escalating war, satellite monitoring by TankerTrackers.com suggests that oil shipments from the island have continued almost uninterrupted since the start of hostilities. In fact, exports from Kharg reportedly rose to near-record levels in the weeks preceding the Israeli-American strikes, according to an analysis by JPMorgan cited by Reuters.
Regional and global implications
Military experts note that any attempt to seize or fully disable Kharg Island would likely require a major ground operation, something Washington has so far been reluctant to pursue.
Still, the strikes represent a significant escalation that directly touches one of Iran’s most vital economic assets, increasing the risk of retaliatory action that could threaten energy shipping in the Persian Gulf.
With Iran vowing continued attacks, Israel expanding its operations, and Hezbollah warning of new battlefield developments, the fifteenth day of the conflict has underscored how rapidly the confrontation is widening across multiple fronts in the Middle East.
