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President Donald Trump announced this Friday on Truth Social that the United States Central Command carried out one of the most powerful airstrikes in the history of the Middle East against Kharg Island, Iran's main oil export terminal, located in the Persian Gulf. The news was also confirmed by official sources on social media.
"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 totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran's crown jewel, Kharg Island," Trump wrote in his post.
The leader stated that he has decided not to destroy the island's oil infrastructure, but issued a direct warning: "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."
Kharg handles approximately 90% of Iran's crude oil exports, equivalent to about 1.6 million barrels per day, and oil accounts for nearly 40% of the Iranian regime's budget. Its strategic position in the Persian Gulf, about 30 kilometers from the Iranian coast, makes it the country's most vital economic asset. During the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, Saddam Hussein attempted to destroy it for years without success.
The bombing occurs within the context of the open war between the United States, Israel, and Iran, which began on February 28, 2026 with "Operation Epic Fury" and "Operation Roaring Lion," attacking more than 500 Iranian targets in the first hours, including nuclear facilities, and resulting in the death of the supreme leader Ali Khamenei and the senior military commanders of the regime.
Trump seized the announcement to issue a series of warnings to the regime: "Iran does NOT have the capability to defend anything we want to attack, there is nothing they can do about it!" He also declared that Iran "WILL NEVER have a nuclear weapon" and that its military "would do well to lay down their arms and save what is left of their country, which isn't much."
The attack on Kharg is directly linked to the tension in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world's oil passes. The new Iranian supreme leader, Mojtaba Jamenei threatened to close the strait last Thursday. Iran had also laid mines in the area and attacked merchant vessels on March 11, resulting in a total of seven deaths.
Last Thursday, the president of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned that any aggression against Iranian islands would make "the blood of the invaders run in the Persian Gulf." The bombing of Kharg occurred less than 24 hours after that statement.
Iran had appointed Mojtaba Jamenei as the new supreme leader on March 8 after the death of his father, a decision that Trump called a serious mistake and warned that the new leader would not last long without his approval.
On March 12, Trump stated that the war against Iran could end soon because the regime is "severely weakened" and "there's practically nothing left to attack." The bombing of Kharg, the most valuable facility that the regime had intact until yesterday, represents the most significant step taken so far in this process of systematic destruction of Iranian capability.
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