Tensions in the Middle East escalated sharply after President Donald Trump warned that the United States could target Iran’s vital oil infrastructure on Kharg Island if Tehran continues actions that threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
The president issued the warning Friday, linking the potential strike to recent disruptions involving vessels traveling through the narrow waterway, which carries roughly 20% of the globe’s fossil fuel supply. Any escalation around the route could have sweeping consequences for global energy markets already shaken by the ongoing regional conflict.
Trump said U.S. forces had recently conducted attacks on military installations on Kharg Island, a strategic export hub responsible for about 90% of Iran’s crude shipments. However, he emphasized that the strikes deliberately avoided oil infrastructure.
Still, he warned the restraint could quickly change if shipping traffic remains under threat.
“should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision,” Trump wrote.
The president also asserted that Iran lacks the capability to withstand sustained U.S. military pressure. In another message posted online, he added: “Iran’s Military, and all others involved with this Terrorist Regime, would be wise to lay down their arms, and save what’s left of their country, which isn’t much!”
He later doubled down on claims about U.S. battlefield success, stating: “The Fake News Media hates to report how well the United States Military has done against Iran, which is totally defeated and wants a deal – But not a deal that I would accept!”
Despite the warning, Iran has shown little indication it intends to retreat from the conflict. Iranian military officials responded by saying that any attack on the country’s energy sector would prompt retaliation against oil facilities belonging to companies cooperating with the United States in the region.
Iranian media outlets reported that more than 15 explosions were heard on Kharg Island during recent U.S. strikes. According to the semi-official Fars News Agency, the blasts struck air defense positions, a naval base, and airport infrastructure, though oil facilities were not damaged.
Markets have been closely monitoring the situation. Even limited damage to Kharg Island’s complex network of pipelines, storage tanks, and loading terminals could significantly disrupt global crude supply and send oil prices surging.
Iran also claimed success in intercepting aerial threats. State television reported that Iranian forces shot down five drones, bringing the total number of U.S. and Israeli drones destroyed during the conflict to 114.
The war began on February 28 after large-scale bombardments by U.S. and Israeli forces against Iranian targets. Since then, the fighting has spread across the region, affecting multiple countries and heightening geopolitical tensions.
On Saturday, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad was struck by a missile, according to Iraqi security officials, who reported smoke rising from the compound but provided few additional details.
Elsewhere in the region, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed to have coordinated further attacks against Israeli targets alongside fighters from Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based militia group.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces said its air force carried out more than 200 strikes in western and central Iran within a single day, targeting ballistic missile launchers, air-defense systems, and weapons production facilities.
The conflict has taken a heavy human toll. After two weeks of fighting, roughly 2,000 people have been killed across the region. Most casualties have occurred in Iran, though deaths have also been reported in Lebanon and several Gulf states. Millions have been displaced from their homes.
U.S. forces have also suffered losses. Six crew members were killed when a U.S. refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq during operations linked to the conflict.
Military infrastructure across the Gulf has also been hit. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, five U.S. Air Force tanker aircraft stationed in Saudi Arabia were damaged in an Iranian missile strike and are currently undergoing repairs.
Iran has also attempted to disrupt maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Washington to consider additional naval security measures. Trump said the U.S. Navy will soon begin escorting commercial tankers through the waterway to protect global shipping.
Although the president had previously predicted a short conflict, he declined to estimate when the fighting might end.
“It’ll be as long as it’s necessary,” he told reporters.
Despite the security risks, Iran has continued exporting crude oil. Satellite imagery reviewed by TankerTrackers.com showed multiple very large crude carriers loading cargo at Kharg Island earlier in the week. Estimates suggest Iran exported between 1.1 million and 1.5 million barrels per day since the war began.
Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, vowed in his first public remarks to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and warned neighboring countries to shut down U.S. military bases within their borders or risk becoming targets themselves.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later claimed that Khamenei had been wounded in an earlier Israeli strike that killed several members of his family. While Iranian officials confirmed he was injured, they denied reports that his condition has affected his ability to govern.
No photographs of Khamenei have been released since the attack.
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