Kharg Island–Fujairah Attacks

• 17 Mar 2026

Source: TH 

Geopolitical escalation in West Asia has intensified after the US reportedly carried out bombing strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island, a crucial oil export hub, while Iran retaliated by striking oil facilities in Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

• Both locations are critical nodes in the global oil supply chain, and attacks threaten international shipping lanes and oil markets. 
• Kharg Island: 
  • Location: Kharg Island is a small Iranian island in the Persian Gulf, about 25 km off Iran’s southwestern coast. 
    • Kharg was once called the “orphan pearl of the Persian Gulf.”  Today, it is often referred to as the “forbidden island” because access is tightly controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). 
  • Iran’s Main Oil Export Hub: The island became Iran’s primary export centre because it is connected by pipelines to major oil fields such as Ahvaz, Marun, and Gachsaran and has deep waters suitable for supertankers. 
    • About 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports pass through Kharg Island, with the terminal handling roughly 1.3–1.6 million barrels per day, and the ability to store around 30 million barrels. 
  • Historical Trade Centre: Kharg has been part of regional trade networks since the 10th century, serving pearl divers and traders moving between India and Basra (Iraq).  
    • It was later fortified by the Dutch in the 18th century and briefly occupied by the British in the 19th century. 

 

• Fujairah:  
  • Location: Fujairah is one of the seven emirates of the UAE, located on the Gulf of Oman. 
    • It is the only UAE emirate without a coastline on the Persian Gulf, giving it strategic importance for energy transport. 
    • The UAE is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the west and south, and Oman to the east and northeast. It also shares maritime borders in the Persian Gulf with Qatar and Iran. 
  • Bypassing the Strait of Hormuz: The Habshan–Fujairah pipeline allows UAE oil exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow and vulnerable maritime chokepoint. 
  • Global Energy Hub: The Port of Fujairah is among the largest oil storage facilities globally and the second-largest ship bunkering hub after Singapore. 

Read more: Conflict Zones in the US - Israel - Iran War