The US is stepping up its attacks in Iran. The latest is very close to a key asset.
SBS News
β’Sat, 5 Sep 2026 09:37:14 +0000
π° What Happened
According to the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim, an Iranian tanker was hit by four US missiles near the anchorage at Kharg Island, Iran's key oil export hub in the Gulf, on Saturday. Tasnim quoted local sources as saying there were no casualties and that the tanker's crew was being evacuated. There was no immediate official announcement from Iranian authorities, and US Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
π The Backstory
About 90 per cent of Iran's crude was exported via Kharg Island before the war, making it Iran's most important oil asset. US President Donald Trump said on 31 August, in a one-line social media post accompanied by an AI-generated video, that Kharg Island was going to be 'blown to smithereens'. Iranian authorities have vowed a strong response if Kharg is attacked, and the latest strike suggests the US is stepping up pressure on Iran's oil infrastructure.
π― Why It Matters
A strike this close to Kharg Island threatens the hub through which almost all of Iran's oil exports flow, which could jolt global oil markets and draw sharp Iranian retaliation. The escalation also complicates the Trump administration's efforts to portray the six-month conflict as minor. For Australians, further disruption in the Gulf would be felt at the petrol pump and in shipping costs.
According to the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim, an Iranian tanker was hit by four US missiles near the anchorage at Kharg Island, Iran's key oil export hub in the Gulf, on Saturday. Tasnim quoted local sources as saying there were no casualties and that the tanker's crew was being evacuated. There was no immediate official announcement from Iranian authorities, and US Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
About 90 per cent of Iran's crude was exported via Kharg Island before the war, making it Iran's most important oil asset. US President Donald Trump said on 31 August, in a one-line social media post accompanied by an AI-generated video, that Kharg Island was going to be 'blown to smithereens'. Iranian authorities have vowed a strong response if Kharg is attacked, and the latest strike suggests the US is stepping up pressure on Iran's oil infrastructure.
A strike this close to Kharg Island threatens the hub through which almost all of Iran's oil exports flow, which could jolt global oil markets and draw sharp Iranian retaliation. The escalation also complicates the Trump administration's efforts to portray the six-month conflict as minor. For Australians, further disruption in the Gulf would be felt at the petrol pump and in shipping costs.