The ‘orphan pearl’: Inside Kharg, the beating heart of Iran’s oil empire

Beneath the scorching sun of the Gulf, the rhythmic hum of millions of barrels of crude oil rushing through subsea pipelines vibrates against ancient coral rock.

Here, the celebrated Iranian writer Jalal Al-e-Ahmad once stood, gazing at the isolated shores, and famously dubbed the landmass the “orphan pearl of the Persian Gulf”.

Today, this 22-square-kilometre (8.5-square-mile) coral outcr...