The Middle East conflict has intensified into its third week as the United States launched a series of devastating strikes on Iran’s military infrastructure. More than 90 sites on Kharg Island, a critical hub responsible for nearly 90% of Iran’s oil exports, were targeted.
President Donald Trump warned that further disruption of shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz could prompt additional attacks on Iran’s vital oil facilities.
Israel echoed Washington’s hardline stance and called the attacks a “severe blow” while issuing a warning that the confrontation with Iran is now entering a “decisive phase,” suggesting that regional tensions are going to rise with potential for further escalation.
More than 90 military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island were destroyed in overnight operations. Kharg Island, located in the northern Gulf, is a critical hub, handling nearly 90% of Iran’s oil exports and serving as a strategic economic artery for the country.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that the armed forces of the United States struck more than 90 military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island.
Trump announced that American forces had carried out what he described as one of the most powerful bombing raids ever conducted in the region.
The operation targeted Iranian military facilities on Kharg Island, a crucial oil export terminal located in the Persian Gulf. The strikes come amid rising tensions over Iran’s efforts to disrupt global oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow but vital waterway that carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.
“Last night, US forces executed a large-scale precision strike on Kharg Island, Iran. The strike destroyed naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites. U.S. forces successfully struck more than 90 Iranian military targets on Kharg Island, while preserving the oil infrastructure,” CENTCOM said on X.
Tehran, however, disputes these claims, asserting that its oil infrastructure remains intact and that there have been no casualties.
Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, declared that all oil, economic, and energy infrastructure linked to US companies would be “reduced to mountains of ash” if corresponding Iranian assets are attacked.
“In response to the statement of the …US president, we declare that if there is an attack on the oil, economic, and energy infrastructure of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as we have previously warned, immediately all oil, economic, and energy infrastructure belonging to companies across the region with US stakes, or cooperating with the US, will be destroyed and turned into mountains of ash,” Iranian state media quoted Zolfaghari as saying.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that the conflict with Iran is now entering a “decisive phase,” emphasising the growing regional tension.
Katz praised Trump for delivering a “severe blow” to Iran’s key oil hub on Kharg Island, describing it as an “appropriate response to the minefields in the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier this week, the US claimed to have targeted vessels allegedly laying mines near the Strait of Hormuz, though Iran has denied involvement in any mine-laying operations in the strategically vital waterway.
Katz further stated that the Israeli Air Force is continuing a sustained campaign of airstrikes across Tehran and throughout Iran. He emphasized, however, that the ultimate resolution of the conflict rests with the Iranian people, suggesting that only an internal overthrow of the regime could bring an end to hostilities.
Meanwhile, thick plumes of black smoke have been reported rising from one of the largest oil facilities in the Middle East, located at the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.
The port is a crucial refuelling and shipping hub, strategically positioned just beyond the Strait of Hormuz, allowing vessels to bypass the heavily monitored passage while remaining vulnerable to regional hostilities.
In a separate development, the US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, came under attack, even as Israel continues its exchange of strikes with Iranian forces and the Hezbollah group in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the Iranian Armed Forces have warned UAE residents to evacuate near US targets. Iran’s military has declared its right to defend national territory and target US assets in the Middle East, according to state media reports.
Colonel Ebrahim Zulfiqari, spokesperson for the Khatam Headquarters of the Iranian Armed Forces, stated that Iran has a legitimate right to strike American missile installations, shipping ports, and military positions in the UAE. He urged civilians, particularly Muslim residents, to evacuate areas near potential US targets to avoid harm.
