Kharg Island: How even the Portuguese, Dutch, and British empires failed to control a small island now in the US crosshairs

Kharg Island, a strategically vital Persian Gulf location, has repeatedly attracted global powers due to its deep waters and role in Iran's oil exports. Despite attempts by the Portuguese, Dutch, and British to establish control over centuries, local resistance and shifting alliances ensured the island remained under local governance, a pattern continuing into modern geopolitical tensions.