A Google Maps view of Kharg Island. (Image: Google/CNES/AirbusLandsat/Copernicus/Maxar Technologies / SWNS)
Comments from U.S. President Joe Biden have caused uncertainty in the Middle East after he appeared to suggest America is in talks with regarding strikes on Iran’s oil infrastructure.
When asked if he would support such strikes, Mr Biden said: “We’re discussing that. I think that would be a little… anyway.”
Military and shipping analysts have observed the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) appear to have sailed their Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) away from Kharg Island, the country’s largest oil terminal. The island in the Persian Gulf handles 90% of Iran’s oil exports.
Satellite images from the EO Browser shows over a dozen vessels off the coast of Kharg Island in November 2023. An observation from 3 October 2024 shows the waters clear of vessels.