World
US Forces Reportedly Strike Near Iran's Kharg Island and Jask Port Amid Escalating Conflict
The US military has conducted strikes near Iran's key oil export hub, Kharg Island, and the port city of Jask, according to a Fox News report on Tuesday, marking the latest escalation in a conflict now entering its seventh month.
A Fox News reporter, citing unnamed senior US officials, said on social media platform X that the targets included Iranian oil tankers, describing the action as part of a wider campaign to pressure Tehran into surrender.
Brent crude prices settled near $98 a barrel and continued rising following reports of explosions heard near the anchorage area of Kharg Island. The island, located about 15 miles (24 kilometers) off Iran's mainland, serves as the loading point for roughly 90% of the country's crude oil exports.
The White House and US Central Command had not responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting.
Although the US has stated it largely shifted toward economic pressure on Iran, violent incidents have continued to occur repeatedly since then. Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported earlier that a US missile had struck an Iranian tanker off the Kharg coast.
Iran's state television, citing a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, warned that all tanker crews near Kuwaiti and Bahraini piers should immediately abandon their vessels, whether anchored or docked, as they would be targeted.
Separately, the Wall Street Journal reported that Iran had launched an attack against US Navy ships on Monday, though unnamed US officials cited in that report said no American vessels were hit.
The US and Iran have been engaged in a months-long standoff over control of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran largely closed to shipping traffic after US and Israeli forces initiated the conflict in late February. Before the war, the strait handled about one-fifth of global oil supplies, and its closure has driven a sharp increase in global energy prices.
Iran is currently negotiating with Oman on a potential deal to reopen the waterway, though both countries are expected to impose a transit fee on vessels—a move opposed by the US and its allies, who favor keeping the strait free for international shipping.
Reports of explosions near Kharg Island on Tuesday contributed to the rise in oil prices. The island holds significant strategic value due to its central role in Iran's energy infrastructure. While previous US strikes on Kharg have targeted military assets, President Donald Trump has previously threatened to strike oil facilities directly and has at times suggested the possibility of seizing the export hub altogether.