Iran war: Explosions reported near Kharg Island

BREAKING: Explosions reported near Iran's Kharg Island oil hub, with Iranian media saying a tanker was targeted near the country's key export terminal.

Explosions have been reported near Kharg Island, Iran's most important oil export terminal.

Iranian state media say a tanker was targeted close to the hub, though they also report no smoke rising from the area, and so far neither Washington nor Tehran has said a word. This satellite view shows what's at stake, that small island in the Persian Gulf handles the overwhelming bulk of Iran's crude exports, which is exactly why every incident near it moves oil desks worldwide.

Some context. After a lull, the US resumed strikes on Iranian targets last Sunday, and this war is now in its seventh month. Nobody has claimed this one, and that silence is doing a lot of work. An unclaimed strike on a tanker near Iran's export lifeline is how escalation looks before anyone admits to it.

Seven months in, and the fight just moved to the oil.

This is Sara White, reporting for HIT.