Why is the US conducting a large-scale bombing of Kharg Island, Iran? Trump posted a threat to Iran again: "Just now, I announced that the United States has launched a large-scale strike, completely destroying all military targets on Kharg Island, Iran's crown jewel... If you don't stop firing at civilian ships, we can now arbitrarily cut off all your exports and prevent you from rebuilding infrastructure. Iran has no ability to defend against anything we want to attack, and they are helpless."
He called this attack "one of the most powerful bombing operations in Middle Eastern history."
This US operation was defined as a response and retaliation for Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz. Military facilities were the target of the attack, while the island's oil facilities were deliberately left untouched.
Trump's goal is to control Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf, which is a key Iranian oil transportation and storage infrastructure, accounting for 90% of Iran's exports. Iran sees this as a red line.
About 8,000 civilians live and work on the island. If a "massive bombing operation" attacks this small island, the defense and struggle for Kharg Island will only further escalate tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, causing greater impact on the oil market, rather than calming it down as Trump imagined.
Kharg Island may not look like a military target, but it is an extremely important strategic target. It may be the core of the entire incident, and the key is controlling the strait.
Trump's control of Kharg Island aims to weaken Iran's ability at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz, reduce chaos in global oil supply, break the blockade, and send a signal that he himself "acts out of decency (for reason of decency)."
The incident of the US mistakenly bombing an Iranian school is suppressing the US's strikes from being reckless, which explains why Trump emphasized this time that he "acts out of decency."
Some historical background information about Kharg Island:
During the 1979 Iranian Hostage Crisis, President Jimmy Carter imposed sanctions on Iran, but did not order an attack on this island. His successor Reagan prioritized protecting shipping safety during the Iran-Iraq tanker war in the 1980s, attacking Iranian ships and missile positions, but not targeting Kharg Island.
A report by JPMorgan on March 9 this year stated: "Although Iraqi forces attacked some docks and tankers during an eight-year war, Kharg Port remained largely operational, with damage usually repaired quickly, indicating that it would require sustained large-scale attacks to disable it."
Original: toutiao.com/article/1859598057996427/
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