ISTANBUL

Some oil loading operations at the Port of Fujairah, located in the United Arab Emirates and just outside the Strait of Hormuz, were suspended on Saturday morning following a drone attack and a fire, Bloomberg reported.

The attack followed US strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island, with Tehran warning that any targeting of its oil and energy infrastructure would trigger retaliatory attacks on energy facilities linked to the US in the region.

US President Donald Trump said Friday that the US destroyed all military targets on Kharg Island and threatened to attack the island’s oil infrastructure if Iran continued to block ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Kharg Island is Iran’s main oil export hub, handling roughly 90-95% of the country’s crude exports, with around 1.7 million barrels per day last year. The island serves as a key component of Iran’s energy system and a vital source of government revenue.

Tehran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz since March 1, following the launch of joint attacks by Israel and the US against Iran on Feb. 28, which have so far killed around 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Hostilities have since escalated.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries that are home to US military assets, resulting in casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure.