The US-Israel campaign against Iran entered its third week on Saturday with intensified US precision strikes on more than 90 military targets on Kharg Island, Iran’s primary oil export terminal handling 90 per cent of the country’s crude shipments. President Donald Trump described the operation as having “totally obliterated” every military asset there while sparing oil infrastructure for now, warning that facilities would be next if Tehran continued blocking the Strait of Hormuz.
US destroys key Iranian military infrastructure
US Central Command confirmed the large-scale overnight raid on Kharg Island destroyed missile storage sites, an airstrip, mine-laying facilities and other installations. The Pentagon stated the strikes preserved global energy flows amid an oil price surge of more than 40 per cent since the conflict began on 28 February.
Trump, posting video footage on Truth Social, declared the US campaign “way ahead of schedule” with Iran’s ballistic missile and drone capabilities now reduced by over 90 per cent after more than 6,000 targets struck nationwide since the opening salvo of nearly 900 combined US-Israeli airstrikes.
Iran retaliates with missile barrages on Israel and Gulf
Iran fired fresh missile barrages at Israel throughout Saturday, with impacts reported in central areas including Shoham, the Negev desert and northern towns where homes and vehicles were damaged. The Israeli military said at least one building was set ablaze; two people were injured in Eilat. Iranian drones struck an industrial zone in Oman, killing two civilians, and targeted UAE oil hubs, prompting interceptions by Emirati and Saudi air defences.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared US-linked sites in the UAE “legitimate targets”. A missile struck a helipad inside the US embassy compound in Baghdad, while Iranian-backed militias continued attacks on Gulf infrastructure.
Lebanon front and Hezbollah escalation
The conflict has triggered the parallel 2026 Lebanon war. Israeli forces conducted over 1,100 strikes on Hezbollah positions, including southern Beirut outskirts, and issued mass evacuation orders south of the Litani River. Hezbollah claimed rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel, including the Meron air base.
At least 773 people have been killed in Lebanon since early March, with more than 830,000 displaced. Civilian casualties in Iran rose sharply after US-Israeli strikes hit residential areas in Tehran; rescue teams pulled families from rubble in multiple districts.
Casualties and US deployments
More than 2,100 people have now been killed across the region, according to compiled reports from Iranian Red Crescent, and UN sources. This includes at least 1,348 civilians in Iran, dozens in Israel, 19 in Gulf states and 8-15 US service personnel.
The Pentagon announced the deployment of an additional 2,500 Marines to the Middle East, bringing total reinforcements closer to 5,000 sailors and Marines in recent days to bolster defences and counter mine threats in the Strait of Hormuz. Global shipping remains severely disrupted, aviation fares have risen sharply and humanitarian concerns are mounting with thousands displaced in Lebanon and Iran.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the joint operation as entering a “decisive stretch” but vowed it would continue “as long as necessary”. No side showed any willingness to de-escalate. Analysts warned of prolonged economic fallout from energy market volatility and potential wider involvement if maritime threats persisted. The war, now in its 15th day, shows no immediate end in sight.
Also read: 5 more US aircraft damaged in Iran attack on Saudi base: Report
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