Context
Kharg Island, Iran’s principal crude-oil export hub, has remained in focus amid 2026 U.S.–Iran tensions because of its importance to Iranian oil exports and its location in the Persian Gulf.
Location and Physical Geography
- Kharg Island lies in the northern Persian Gulf, about 30 km off the Iranian coast.
- It is located off Bushehr Province and covers roughly 25 sq km.
- The island is surrounded by relatively deep waters, allowing large crude carriers to use its export facilities.
- It is linked by pipelines to major Iranian oil-producing areas, including Khuzestan, as well as nearby offshore fields.
- Its location connects it closely with the Persian Gulf energy route passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Major Oil-Export Hub
- Kharg is Iran’s largest crude-oil export terminal and has served as a major loading centre since the 1960s.
- Pipelines connect it with major onshore and offshore oil fields.
- It has historically handled most of Iran’s crude exports, although the share varies over time.
- The terminal has a maximum loading capacity of about 7 million barrels per day and can handle Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs).
Strategic and Historical Significance
- Energy security: Disruption at Kharg can significantly affect Iran’s crude exports and foreign-exchange earnings.
- Strait of Hormuz: Most crude loaded at Kharg reaches international markets through this strategic maritime passage.
- Strategic vulnerability: Concentration of major export infrastructure makes the island a critical energy asset.
- Kharg and its petroleum facilities were repeatedly attacked during the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988).
- Iran has developed the Jask oil terminal, outside the Strait of Hormuz, to diversify its oil-export routes.
FAQs
Q1. Where is Kharg Island located?
In the northern Persian Gulf, off the coast of Iran.
Q2. Why is Kharg Island important to Iran?
It is Iran’s principal crude-oil export and loading hub.
Q3. What is its approximate maximum loading capacity?
About 7 million barrels per day.
Q4. Which major maritime chokepoint is associated with Kharg’s oil exports?
The Strait of Hormuz.
Q5. Which Iranian terminal provides an alternative export route outside the Strait of Hormuz?
The Jask oil terminal.
