1 hour ago
Last Updated:March 16, 2026, 23:43 IST
Trump says US struck Iran’s Kharg Island but spared oil infrastructure “for rebuilding Iran,” while Iranian media claim the key oil terminal remains secure and exports continue.
President Donald Trump speaks during a board meeting of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts in the East Room of the White House, Monday, March 16, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Donald Trump said the United States carried out an attack on Kharg Island but deliberately avoided destroying the island’s oil infrastructure.
Speaking about the operation, Trump said US forces targeted the island and destroyed most facilities there while leaving the oil pipelines intact.
“We attacked Kharg Island and literally destroyed everything on the island except the area where the oil is. We left the pipes," Trump said.
.@POTUS: We attacked Kharg Island and literally destroyed everything on the island except the area where the oil is. We left the pipes. We didn’t want to do that, but we could do that on 5 minutes notice. But for purposes of someday rebuilding Iran, we did the right thing. pic.twitter.com/q1dZyEcdbW— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 16, 2026
He added that the United States could have destroyed the oil facilities quickly but chose not to in order to avoid long-term damage to Iran’s energy infrastructure.
“We didn’t want to do that, but we could do that in five minutes’ notice. But for purposes of someday rebuilding Iran, we did the right thing," he said.
Kharg Island, located in the Persian Gulf about 25 kilometres off Iran’s coast, is the country’s most important oil export terminal. The island handles the majority of Iran’s crude oil shipments and serves as a critical hub for storage and loading facilities connected to mainland pipelines. Before the current conflict, analysts estimated that around 90% of Iran’s crude exports passed through the island, making it one of the most strategically important energy sites in the region.
However, Iranian media have pushed back against Trump’s claims about the scale of the damage. Iran’s Mehr News Agency published footage from Kharg Island describing the situation as being in “complete security and peace." The report said the island remains fully under the control of Iran’s armed forces and claimed that oil exports from the terminal are continuing without interruption.
First Published:
March 16, 2026, 23:43 IST
News world ‘For The Purpose Of Rebuilding Iran’: Trump Explains Why US Spared Oil Facilities On Kharg Island
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