President Donald Trump has stated that the United States is in active talks with Iran and that he prefers to take Kharg Island, the tiny but enormously consequential oil terminal responsible for roughly 90% of Iran’s crude exports.
What Kharg Island actually is, and why it matters
Kharg Island sits roughly 15 to 25 kilometers off Iran’s coast in the Persian Gulf. Nearly 90% of Iran’s oil exports flow through its terminals. Seizing or even credibly threatening the island doesn’t just affect Iran — it sends shockwaves through every economy that depends on Persian Gulf oil.
Trump has previously commented on the strategic calculus around the island. “Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” he said in late March 2026. That statement carried weight because it followed weeks of escalating military action.
The military timeline so far
