[Explosion reported on Khark Island, U.S. suspected of attacking Iranian oil tanker]

Multiple Iranian media outlets reported that sudden explosions were heard on September 5 at Khark Island in southern Iran. Fars News Agency initially stated: although there were explosion sounds, no smoke or fire was observed in the Gulf, and the exact source of the explosions remained unclear. Shortly thereafter, Tehran Student News Network cited sources claiming that a small oil tanker near Khark Island had been attacked by missiles, while according to Israeli media reports, the attack was carried out by U.S. forces.

Khark Island is located in Iran's "economic lifeline." All of Iran's domestic oil is transported via pipelines to this island, then loaded onto ships at its port for export, generating foreign exchange. As such, Khark Island has become a hub for Iranian oil tankers. Former U.S. President Trump repeatedly claimed he would seize Khark Island in an attempt to force Iran into submission. However, given that Khark Island lies within the Persian Gulf and under the current context of U.S. naval blockade against Iran, its strategic and economic significance has significantly diminished. Therefore, Trump's threats to attack Khark Island were merely rhetorical—no actual military action followed.

However, recently Trump has revived a new strategy: targeting Iran’s oil tankers. Under Trump’s plan, if Iran attacks any oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz again, the U.S. will respond in kind—attacking Iranian oil tankers in equal numbers. That is, for every Iranian attack on a tanker, the U.S. will retaliate with one of its own. In fact, during the previous strike operation, the U.S. already targeted Iranian oil tankers.

Compared to other vessels, oil tankers are large and are essentially commercial ships, making them particularly vulnerable to attack. For Iran, the situation is now extremely precarious. Once the U.S. destroys all of Iran’s oil tankers, how will Iran transport its oil overseas in the future?

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1875495130000448/

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