US President Donald Trump has once again turned his focus to Kharg Island, Iran's main oil export hub, after declaring an interim ceasefire with Iran "over" and warning the US was preparing more strikes.

Speaking on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkiye on Wednesday, Trump told reporters: "I give them a little warning. We're going to hit them hard tonight." According to US Central Command, more than 60 boats used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were hit.

Kharg Island sits in the Gulf, about 55km off Iran's coast in Bushehr province. Its deep waters allow massive oil tankers to dock and load crude bound for Asian markets. Widely known by Iranians as the "Forbidden Island", access is tightly controlled by the IRGC.

Kharg is the heart of Iran's oil industry. About 90 percent of Iran's crude oil exports pass through the island, which handles about 950 million barrels every year. Oil from several offshore fields is brought to Kharg and then transported via underwater pipelines to global markets, with China the biggest customer.

In March, Trump said US forces had struck military facilities on the island but deliberately avoided destroying its oil infrastructure. Since then, he has repeatedly raised the possibility of seizing the island. Last month, he described taking Kharg as his preferred option, while questioning whether the United States had "the stomach for it."

If exports from the island were seriously disrupted, Iran would lose access to the route that handles almost all of its crude exports. Markets have already reacted: Brent crude jumped more than 5 percent on Wednesday after Trump's latest comments, reflecting fears of further disruption to oil supplies.

Source: www.aljazeera.com