US strikes three Iranian oil tankers after IRGC attack on American naval ships, Central Command says
XLE•Oil market and broader economic pressure
Trump said on June 11 that he wanted to take over Kharg Island, but then said a threatened U.S. military operation there was off the table for now, days before Tehran and Washington signed an interim agreement aimed at ending the war on June 17.
A U.S. attack on Kharg would further pressure Iran's oil industry and its wider economy, which is already reeling from the U.S. naval blockade.
The U.S. imposed its blockade on Iranian ports after Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, an important waterway that carried one-fifth of the world's oil supply before the war.
Brent crude futures closed at their highest level since July 24 on Friday, at $96.28 a barrel, as tensions in the Middle East drive global supply concerns.
