Kharg Island Under Attack
President Trump announced Friday that the U.S. military "totally obliterated every MILITARY target" on Kharg Island, a vital Iranian oil export hub. The island, located 20 miles off Iran's northern Gulf coast, handles 85-95% of the country's crude exports. Trump warned that he spared the island’s oil infrastructure "for reasons of decency," but would reconsider if Iran interferes with shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Military Objectives
According to U.S. Central Command, the "large-scale precision strike" hit over 90 Iranian military targets, including naval mine and missile storage facilities. Videos of the strikes were shared by Trump on Truth Social. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the U.S. and Israel have struck more than 15,000 "enemy targets" during the war with Iran.
Iranian Response
Iran has threatened to attack cities in the United Arab Emirates, claiming the U.S. launched its attack from UAE ports. Abbas Araghchi, Iran's minister of foreign affairs, said Tehran will respond to any attack on its energy facilities by targeting facilities of American companies in the Gulf or companies in which the U.S. has shares. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that any new protests against authorities would be met with a stronger response than in January.
Global Oil Market Impact
The U.S. strike on Kharg Island has raised fears of more widespread supply disruptions in the region. National security analyst Aaron MacLean said the president has shown he has leverage if Iran keeps the Strait of Hormuz closed, through which about 20% of the world's oil supplies pass. The price of a barrel of crude oil rose above $100 on Thursday. Trump invoked a Cold War-era law in a bid to boost oil production off Southern California's coast.
Casualties and Displacement
All six crew members on a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft that crashed in western Iraq are confirmed dead. This brings the U.S. military death toll to 13, seven of whom were killed by enemy fire, according to the Pentagon. Iranian and Lebanese health officials and Israeli authorities reported more than 1,300 people killed in Iran, 773 people in Lebanon and 12 civilians in Israel, as well as two Israeli soldiers killed in Lebanon. The total number of people displaced by the fighting in Iran and Lebanon has reached into the millions.
International Response
The U.K. Ministry of Defense said it was speaking with its allies and partners about "a range of options to ensure the security of shipping in the region." Trump called on other nations, including China, France, Japan, and the U.K., to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the U.S. easing sanctions on Russian oil sales "could provide Russia with around $10 billion for the war."
Domestic Impact
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said three of the six U.S. service members killed in the Iraq plane crash were from Ohio. More than 50,000 Americans have returned from the Middle East to the U.S. since the beginning of the war. El Al will operate six non-stop flights to New York starting Monday for Americans whose flights were canceled.
As tensions escalate, the U.S. State Department ordered non-emergency government staff and their families to leave Oman "due to safety risks."
