U.S. strikes over 90 military targets on Iran's Kharg Island: CENTCOM

WASHINGTON, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. forces "executed a large-scale precision strike" on Kharg Island, a key oil export hub of Iran, on Friday night, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed on Saturday.

"U.S. forces successfully struck more than 90 Iranian military targets on Kharg Island, while preserving the oil infrastructure," CENTCOM said in a post on X.

The strike destroyed naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites, the post said.

Kharg Island lies in the Persian Gulf about 25 km off Iran's coast and accounts for about 90 percent of Iran's crude exports.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday night on social media that the bombing "totally obliterated" the military targets in Kharg Island, and threatened to target the strategic island's oil infrastructure if shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted.

In response, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, warned Saturday that any attack on Iran's oil and energy infrastructure would trigger retaliation against regional facilities linked to U.S. companies. ■