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Kharg Island

Kharg Island
Native name:
جزیره خارگ
A 2010 satellite image of Kharg Island
Kharg Island is located in Persian Gulf
Kharg Island
Kharg Island
Map
Geography
LocationPersian Gulf
Coordinates29°14′42″N 50°18′36″E / 29.24500°N 50.31000°E / 29.24500; 50.31000
Area20 km2 (7.7 sq mi)
Highest elevation70 m (230 ft)
Highest pointKūh-e Dīdeh Bānī
Administration
ProvinceBushehr
CountyBushehr
DistrictKharg
Largest settlementKharg (pop. 8,193)
Demographics
Population8,193 (2016)

Kharg Island (Persian: جزیره خارگ), also spelt Khark Island, is an island of Iran in the Persian Gulf. It is about 25 km (16 mi) from the coast of Iran and 483 km (300 mi) northwest of the Strait of Hormuz. The island is part of Bushehr province and has one city, Kharg.

Kharg Island is very important for Iran’s oil. About 90% of Iran’s oil exports leave from here. The island can store up to 30 million barrels of oil. It is close to many offshore oil fields. Because of this, it is sometimes called the "Forbidden Island".[1][2][3]

History

In the Middle Ages, Kharg was known for pearls and was a stop for trading ships.[4] The Portuguese controlled it in the 1500s and built a castle.[3][5] The Dutch took over in the 1700s, built forts and a church, but were later forced out.[6] The British occupied it briefly in the 1800s.[4]

In the 20th century, Reza Shah used it as a place of exile.[3] In the 1960s, it became a major oil terminal with help from the US company Amoco.[6][7] After the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Iran took full control.[8] The island was bombed during the Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s.[9] In 1990, Iran paid Amoco $600 million in compensation.[8]

In March 2026, during the 2026 Iran war, the United States bombed military sites on the island but left oil facilities intact.[10][11][12][13]

Archaeology

Kharg Island has many old sites. A 2,400-year-old Achaemenid inscription in cuneiform writing was found here.[14] There is also a ruined Christian monastery from the 7th–9th centuries.[4] The island has rock-cut tombs from the Seleucid, Parthian, and Nabataean times.[15][16] There are Zoroastrian, Christian, and Jewish burial sites, as well as shrines and a fire temple.[3]

Geography

The island is about 8 km (5.0 mi) long and 4–5 km (2.5–3.1 mi) wide.[3] It has its own freshwater supply, which is rare in the Persian Gulf.[6] It is guarded by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Since 2026, tourists can visit with a special permit and guide.[17]

References

  1. ↑ "Why Kharg Island matters: Iran's strategic Gulf oil island". The New Arab. 11 March 2026. Archived from the original on 12 March 2026. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  2. ↑ Emery, Christian (13 March 2026), Phelps, Sam (ed.), "Kharg Island: Iran's energy lifeline that has so far escaped attack", The Conversation, doi:10.64628/ab.pr7vuxx9f, archived from the original on 14 March 2026, retrieved 14 March 2026
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Mansour, Mohammad (11 March 2026). "The 'orphan pearl': Inside Kharg, the beating heart of Iran's oil empire". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 11 March 2026. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Potts, D. T. (1996–2021). "KHARG ISLAND II – History and archeology". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica, Online Edition. Encyclopædia Iranica Foundation.
  5. ↑ Tazmini, Ghoncheh (2018). "The Persian-Portuguese Encounter in Hormuz". Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1080/00210862.2016.1263542. hdl:10071/15719.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Clark, Emily (11 March 2026). "Kharg Island could be Iran's weak spot as Washington reportedly considers ground invasion options". ABC News. Archived from the original on 12 March 2026. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  7. ↑ Mirfendereski, Guive (15 September 2015). "KHARG ISLAND iii. Developments since the 1950s". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Iranian Accord With Amoco Lifts a Barrier to U.S. Trade". The New York Times. 16 June 1990. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  9. ↑ Yoon, John (14 March 2026). "What to Know About Iran's Kharg Island". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  10. ↑ "Trump Says U.S. Bombs 'Obliterated' Military Targets on Kharg Island". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  11. ↑ Cooper, Helene; Stack, Liam (13 March 2026). "U.S. Attacks Iran's Kharg Island, a Key Port for Oil Exporting, Trump Says". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  12. ↑ "US embassy in Baghdad hit by strike as Trump says military targets 'obliterated' on Iran's key oil island - follow live". BBC News. 14 March 2026. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  13. ↑ "US strikes more than 90 Iranian military targets on Kharg Island, CENTCOM says". Reuters. 14 March 2026.
  14. ↑ "Kharg Island Achaemenid Inscription". Persian Empire. Archived from the original on 15 November 2025. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  15. ↑ Steve, M.-J. (1999). "Sur l'île de Khârg dans le golfe Persique". Dossiers d'Archéologie (in French). 243: 74–80.
  16. ↑ Steve, M.-J.; et al. (2003). L'île de Kharg. Une page de l'histoire du Golfe Persique et du monachisme oriental. Civilisations du Proche-Orient (in French). Vol. Série I. Gent. ISBN 2-940032-03-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  17. ↑ "Kharg Island Tourism: Permits & Access for Foreign Nationals [2026]". Melste. 14 March 2026. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
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