Kharg Island

Kharg is a small island in the sea.

It sits near the coast of Iran. The island has its own fresh water.

Many big ships go to the island. They go there to get oil. The island helps move oil from the sea. This is a very important job.

Long ago, people lived there too. They grew fruit and palm trees. They also found pearls in the water.

There are old ruins on the land. You can see an old church there. There are also very old stones with writing.

Some people call it the Forbidden Island. This is because it is guarded. It is a very busy place.

Kharg Island sits in the Persian Gulf.

It is about 25 kilometers off the coast of Iran. The island is a coral outcrop. It is 8 kilometers long and 5 kilometers wide. Most islands in this sea do not have fresh water. But Kharg Island has its own supply.

The island is a very busy place for oil. Many underwater pipes run to the island. These pipes bring oil from nearby fields. Huge ships come to the island to load oil.

It helps move up to 90% of Iran's oil products. Some people call it the "Forbidden Island." This is because the island is guarded by soldiers.

Kharg has a very long history. Long ago, people found pearls in the water. They also grew fruit and date palms. You can find old ruins on the land. There is an old Christian monastery. There are also stones with very old writing. This writing is called cuneiform. It is about 2,400 years old.

Kharg Island is a special place in the Persian Gulf.

It sits about 25 kilometers off the coast of Iran. The island is a coral outcrop that is 8 kilometers long. It is also about 4 to 5 kilometers wide. Most islands in this sea do not have fresh water. However, Kharg Island has its own supply of it.

This makes it a very important place for people to live.

The island is a major hub for the oil industry. Many underwater pipelines run from nearby oil fields to the island. These fields have names like Faridun, Darius, Cyrus, and Ardašir. The island can store up to 30 million barrels of oil. It also helps export up to 90% of Iran's oil products.

Large tankers come to the island to load up. Because the island is guarded by soldiers, some people call it the "Forbidden Island."

Kharg has a very long and busy history. Long ago, people visited the island to find pearls. They also grew fruit and date palms there. In the 1500s, the Portuguese Empire controlled the island. Later, the Dutch colonial empire also held control in the 1700s.

Dutch sailors even gave the island the name "Delft." For many years, it was a very important stop for trading ships. It was a place where many different cultures met.

There are many amazing things to find on the island. You can visit ruins of an old Christian monastery. This monastery includes a chapel and 19 small monk cells.

There is also an ancient stone with cuneiform writing. This writing is about 2,400 years old. It dates back to the Achaemenid era between 550 and 330 BCE. These sites show how people lived on the island a long time ago.

Today, the island is still a very important site. It was developed into a large oil terminal in the 1960s. This work happened during the time of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The island has seen many changes through different wars and eras.

Recently, the government has looked into tourism for the island. In 2026, a special permit was made for visitors. Travelers must now use an approved guide when they visit. This helps protect the island while people explore it.

Kharg Island is a vital continental island located in the Persian Gulf.

It sits approximately 25 to 28 kilometers off the Iranian coast. The island is about 8 kilometers long and 4 to 5 kilometers wide. It is a coral outcrop that functions as a major maritime hub.

Because it provides a sea port for up to 90% of Iran's oil products, it is a site of massive economic importance. It also serves as a storage facility for up to 30 million barrels of oil. Due to the presence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, some call it the "Forbidden Island."

The island's modern economic power comes from its connection to offshore energy. Several major oil fields lie near the island, including the Faridun, Darius, Cyrus, and Ardašir fields. Underwater pipelines transport oil from these fields directly to Kharg.

The island features several specialized terminals to manage this flow. These include the Kharg Terminal with its long T-shaped jetty, the Sea Island Terminal, and the Darius Terminal. There is also the Kharg Chemical Complex, known as the Khemco Terminal, which handles gas.

This infrastructure makes it one of the most significant oil shipment centers in the world.

Kharg Island has a complex history involving many different global powers. In the 16th century, the Portuguese Empire claimed the island. They built the Portuguese Castle to maintain military control over the Strait of Hormuz. Later, in the 18th century, the Dutch colonial empire also held influence. Dutch sailors once named the island "Delft" after a city in the Netherlands. An agent named Baron Tiddo Frederik van Kniphausen even established a free port there in 1753. He built houses in the northeast corner of the island to support this trade.

Archaeological discoveries reveal that the island has been inhabited for thousands of years. One significant find is an Achaemenid-era cuneiform inscription. This carving in Old Persian dates back to between 550 and 330 BCE. It is written on a coral rock in five lines of unusual order. The text suggests that the land was once a wilderness before water was brought to it.

Additionally, the island contains the ruins of a Christian monastery. This complex includes a chapel, a library, a courtyard, and 19 cells for monks. These sites show that Kharg was a place of religion and culture long before the oil era.

The transition to a modern oil terminal began in the 1960s. This development occurred under Mohammad Reza Pahlavi through a partnership with the American company Amoco. Significant engineering projects were completed during this time to increase capacity. For example, a 159-kilometer pipeline was finished in 1959. Later, submarine loops were laid to connect the island to other locations like Bandar Ganaveh. By 1975, the island had become the world's largest offshore crude oil terminal. This massive scale changed the island from a quiet trading post into a global industrial center.

In recent decades, the island has been shaped by political and military conflict. During the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, Iraqi aircraft bombed the facilities. This damage put much of the oil infrastructure out of commission for several years. More recently, the island was involved in the Iran war of 2026. During this time, the United States struck several military targets on the island.

Satellite imagery showed that Iran had reduced its oil storage in anticipation of these attacks. These events highlight how the island remains a sensitive strategic location.

Today, the island is managing a balance between industry, security, and potential tourism. While it remains a strictly guarded military and industrial zone, the government is exploring its tourism potential. In 2026, a new system for visitor permits was introduced. Tourists must now provide detailed documentation for their intended visits. They are also required to be accompanied by an approved guide at all times. This careful management allows the world to see the island's history while protecting its vital oil operations.