Trump Threatens to Seize Kharg Island, Iran's Oil Export Hub

The U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to hit Iran 'very hard' and eventually seize Kharg Island, the export hub of one of the world's largest oil producers.

Kharg Island is located 16 miles from Iran's coast in the northern end of the Gulf and is responsible for exporting 90% of Iran's crude oil.

In recent weeks, flows from Kharg have been suspended due to a U.S. blockade of Iranian oil exports, but seizing the island would give the U.S. the ability to severely disrupt Iran's energy trade.

Iran is OPEC's third-largest producer of oil and its fields and facilities are concentrated in the southwestern provinces of Khuzestan for oil and Bushehr for gas and condensate from the giant offshore South Pars gas field.