KHARG ISLAND OIL INFRASTRUCTURE: STRATEGIC VULNERABILITY IN PERSIAN GULF Iran's Kharg Island oil terminal handles approximately 90% of Iran's crude export capacity—roughly 5 million barrels daily before recent sanctions reduced output to 2-3 million barrels. The facility, operational since 1967, operates with aging infrastructure built during the Shah era and has experienced multiple documented spills: the 2011 collision killed four workers and caused significant environmental damage, while the 2016 ship collision spilled an estimated 1,000 tons of crude. Environmental degradation here cascades regionally—the Persian Gulf's warm, shallow waters (averaging 35 meters depth) limit natural oil dispersal, concentrating pollution impacts on shared fishing grounds and desalination plants serving Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait. Why this matters: Any disruption to Kharg—whether sabotage, accident, or infrastructure failure—threatens global oil supply stability and creates transnational environmental liability, historically forcing regional nations into ad-hoc cooperation despite political tensions.