By Ian Werther in News — 14 Mar 2026

Trump Says U.S. Bombed Harq Island; Iran's Oil Facilities Could Be Struck

President Donald Trump said on social media that, at his order, U.S. Central Command conducted one of the most powerful bombing campaigns in the Middle East and destroyed all military targets on Harq Island, an Iranian oil-export terminal near the Strait of Hormuz.

The claim comes as Washington signals a week of intensified pressure on Iran, with reports that amphibious assault ships and a Marine Expeditionary Unit stationed in Japan are being dispatched to the Middle East.

Trump added that, for now, he would not destroy the island’s oil infrastructure, but warned that if Iran or others threaten the free and safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, he would reconsider and could strike Iran’s oil facilities.

Harq Island has long served as a crude-export terminal since the 1960s, after oil facilities were built there by Amoco. It is capable of handling up to about seven million barrels of crude per day, and much of Iran’s crude is loaded onto tankers there for export.

Portions of Oman, The United Arab Emirates and Iran are seen at the Strait of Hormuz (26.0N, 56.0E) in this view. A number of ship wakes can be seen in the area of the strait. Sunglint in the Persian Gulf to the northwest, accentuates the complex currents and oil slicks, seen as dark toned blue streaks on the surface. Qeshm Island, just off the coast of Iran, can be seen on the edge of the photo. — Representative image for context; not directly related to the specific event in this article. License: Public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Officials framed the strike as a way to cut Iran’s financial lifeline by disrupting oil revenue should Iran again attempt to block Hormuz traffic.

Meanwhile, U.S. media reported a broader buildup of forces: the relocation of amphibious assault ships and a Marine Expeditionary Unit from Japan to the Middle East, expanding the options available to CENTCOM.

The Wall Street Journal described the move as widening operational options against Iran, while the New York Times cited figures of up to 2,500 Marines aboard as many as three ships joining about 50,000 U.S. troops in the region.

The narrow Strait of Hormuz lies between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, separating Iran (north) from the Arabian Peninsula (south). Only about 21 miles (34 km) wide at the narrowest point and roughly 96 miles (155 km) long, about thirty percent of the world’s seaborne oil and nearly one-quarter of the liquified natural gas (LNG) supply passes through this strait — all on shipping lanes that measure only two-mile wide. It has been estimated that 21 million barrels of oil, with a value of 1.2 billion US dollars (USD), pass through the strait every day.
On December 2, 2020, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of the Strait of Hormuz.

The arid landscape of Iran sits in the north, with Qeshm Island, the largest in the Persian Gulf, just off the Iranian coast. The tiny Strait of Khuran separates the island and the mainland and bounds a wetland of international importance, recognized by Ramsar. These wetlands provide critical habitat to two globally threatened species: the Dalmatian Pelican and the Green sea turtle. In the south, the rocky and rugged Musandam Peninsula juts into the Strait of Hormuz. The tip of the peninsula is filled by the Musandam Governate, an exclave of Oman. To the south, the land on the peninsula belongs to the United Arab Emirates. — Representative image for context; not directly related to the specific event in this article. License: Public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

The Associated Press noted the Marines are trained for landing operations but could also assist with embassy security, civilian evacuations, or disaster relief, and that a ground invasion remains uncertain.

Axios reported that unnamed officials discussed plans to neutralize Iran’s land-based anti-ship missiles near Hormuz before resuming escort operations, though they declined to comment on any possible ground action.

Trump told Fox News Radio that the coming week would see Iran “very hard” hit, signaling a sustained pressure campaign as oil markets react to the Hormuz situation.

For U.S. readers, the broader context matters beyond Korea: disruptions to Hormuz could affect global oil supplies, prices, and inflation in the United States, while the deployment of additional U.S. forces has implications for American defense posture, alliance commitments, and regional security dynamics. The episode also tests the resilience of international diplomacy and supply chains dependent on unhindered maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

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