Is Iran’s vital oil hub Kharg Island in America’s crosshairs?

Kharg Island, a scrubby stretch of land in the northern Gulf, handles almost all of Iran’s crude exports and any attempt to seize it would mark a major escalation in the conflict, analysts have said.

The US and Israel have so far treaded carefully around the island, but an Axios report over the weekend cited Trump administration officials saying capturing Kharg was on the table as the war in the Middle East persists.

The island, located around 30km (19 miles) off the Iranian mainland, handles roughly 90 per cent of Iran’s crude exports, according to a JP Morgan note released Sunday.

Any move on the territory, which is about one-third the size of Manhattan, would have swift repercussions, experts said.

“A direct strike would immediately halt the bulk of Iran’s crude exports, likely triggering severe retaliation in the Strait of Hormuz or against regional energy infrastructure,” JP Morgan said.