US President Donald Trump said on 15 July that he ordered American forces to deliberately avoid striking oil installations on Iran's Kharg Island during recent military operations, citing the facilities' critical role in the global economy. Speaking in a Fox News interview, Trump also declined to rule out a ground campaign or the eventual seizure of the strategic Persian Gulf export hub.

Why the Oil Was Spared

Trump said US forces had struck Kharg Island 'two or three times' but were instructed to leave its oil infrastructure untouched. 'Hit everything but the oil. Just leave that little area from 25 yards out. Leave that little area. Don't touch the oil,' he said, recounting his direct orders to the military.

The president explained his reasoning in economic terms. 'Because I don't want that in terms of the world economy. It's a, you know, it's a chunk of the world economy,' he said. He added that striking the oil facilities remained an option but called it unlikely: 'So we haven't hit that. At some point we could, but I think it's unlikely.'

Ground Campaign and Island Seizure Not Ruled Out

Trump stopped short of ruling out either a ground campaign or the seizure of Kharg Island. When interviewer Trey Yingst cited remarks Trump made in 1988 — in which he said he would seize the island if an American serviceman or vessel came under fire — Trump declined to confirm or deny the intent. 'So I, I can't say that to you because if I did, it would be foolish, right?' he said.

He left the door open to seizing the island if Iran's military capabilities were sufficiently degraded. 'As far as taking it is concerned, if we degrade them far enough and deep enough back, uh, I would do that,' Trump said. On a ground campaign, he was similarly non-committal: 'I'd say sometimes you need a ground campaign, but we have other people that will do the ground campaign for us.' He did not identify which forces he was referring to.

Trump's Assessment of Iran's Military State

The president claimed the US military campaign had already inflicted damage that would take Iran two decades to repair. 'If we left right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild what they have,' he said. He framed continued strikes as a matter of leverage: 'The only way you can negotiate with these people is through strength. And the only strength is military strength.'

Trump said the strikes would continue at his discretion, adding that Iran retained some remaining capacity. 'They'll continue until I say, uh, it's enough. They have some fight left, but they don't have much,' he said.

What Kharg Island Means for Global Energy

Kharg Island lies in the Persian Gulf off Iran's southwestern coast and serves as the primary terminal for the country's crude oil exports. Any sustained disruption at the facility could ripple through international energy markets, affecting crude prices and supply chains for major Asian importers — including India — that depend on Iranian or regionally priced oil. The deliberate decision to spare the terminal, for now, has kept a worst-case energy shock off the table, but Trump's comments signal that calculus could change.

With strikes reportedly ongoing and no ceasefire signal from Washington, the situation at Kharg Island remains one of the most consequential pressure points in the current US-Iran confrontation.