This image, provided by the European Space Agency (ESA) and captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite on March 17, 2026, shows a view of the Iranian island of Kharg, home to the country’s main crude oil export terminal and handles the vast majority of its oil shipments to the rest of the world. The island is located approximately 30 kilometers south of the mainland, in the northern Gulf. (Credit: European Space Agency/AFP)
The White House threatened on Friday that the United States could "take out" Iran's Kharg island whenever it wanted, after a report that President Donald Trump's administration was considering plans to occupy or blockade the oil hub.
Axios reported that Trump was mulling an operation against Kharg to pressure the Islamic Republic to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial shipping lane that Tehran has largely blocked.
The United States is at the same time deploying additional Marines to the Middle East, U.S. media reported, possibly signaling a coming ground operation three weeks into the U.S.-Israeli offensive against Iran.
"The United States Military can take out Kharg Island at any time if the President gives the order," White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly wrote in a statement to AFP when asked about the Axios report.
"Thanks to a detailed planning process, the entire administration is and was prepared for any potential action taken by the terrorist Iranian regime," added Kelly.
"President Trump knew full well that Iran would try to stop the freedom of navigation and free flow of energy, and he has already taken action to destroy over 40 mine-laying vessels."
An effective Iranian blockade has paralyzed commercial shipping through the crucial maritime chokepoint, contributing to the spike in global oil prices since the start of the war on Feb. 28.
Trump said the United States had "totally obliterated" all military targets on Kharg in strikes on Friday, threatening to hit the island's infrastructure if Iran keeps blocking the Strait of Hormuz.
On Thursday the U.S. leader called Kharg, which handles almost all of Iran's crude exports, the "little oil island that sits there, so totally unprotected" and said U.S. strikes had "taken out everything but the pipes."
