US, Israel bomb Iran's Kharg Island ahead of Hormuz deadline
What's the story
The United States and Israel have launched heavy airstrikes on Kharg Island, a key military and energy hub in the Persian Gulf. The strikes reportedly targeted important installations such as a radar station, docking facilities, and several military sites. The attack comes just before a deadline set by US President Donald Trump for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face destruction of its bridges and energy plants.
Strike confirmation
Israeli military confirms strikes
The Israeli military confirmed the attack, saying it had completed a wave of strikes targeting "infrastructure sites" across Iran, without providing details of what the sites were. "A short while ago, the IDF completed a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting dozens of infrastructure sites belonging to the Iranian terror regime in several areas across Iran," the military said in a statement. Iranian media reported that two people were killed in these attacks.
Economic impact
Importance of Kharg Island
Kharg Island, though small in size, is critical to Iran's oil economy. It is the country's main export terminal and handles around 90% of its crude shipments. The island has extensive oil infrastructure, including pipelines, storage facilities, and export terminals. It also houses military installations that have been targeted in the recent strikes.
Retaliation threat
IRGC threatens to cut off oil, gas supplies to US
Amid these developments, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has threatened to cut off oil and gas supplies to the US and its allies for years. Officials have also called on young people to form human chains to protect power plants after Trump threatened massive attacks on critical infrastructure in Iran if it doesn't reach a peace deal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz by 8:00pm ET Tuesday.