Here's the latest
• Critical island hit: President Donald Trump said the US “totally obliterated every military target” on Kharg Island, which handles roughly 90% of Iran’s crude exports. He threatened to attack the island’s oil infrastructure if Tehran continues blocking ships from traversing the Strait of Hormuz.
• Iran’s threat: Tehran warned it would hit regional oil facilities if its own energy infrastructure was attacked, reported state media. It also reported that no oil infrastructure on Kharg Island was damaged.
• Strait traffic: Iran is considering allowing a limited number of oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, provided that the cargo is traded in Chinese yuan, a senior Iranian official told CNN.
• Regional attacks: Some Gulf states reported intercepting strikes on their territory. Smoke and fire were seen near the US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, but it’s not clear if the embassy compound was directly hit.
Why Kharg Island, which was targeted in US strikes, is important to Iran
During the first two weeks of the latest war in the Middle East, as US and Israeli strikes rained down on military and energy facilities across Iran, one site went conspicuously untouched.
Despite its tiny size, Kharg Island is an economic lifeline for Iran, handling roughly 90% of the country’s crude exports – meaning any assault on it risks major escalation.
But on Friday the US hit military facilities on the island. Sites related to the oil trade were not hit, according to US officials and Iranian state media. But Trump has threatened to strike those too, if Iran continues blocking ships from traversing the Strait of Hormuz.
Kharg Island is a coral outcrop around a third of the size of Manhattan just 25 kilometers (15 miles) off Iran’s coast, in the Persian Gulf.
Almost every day, millions of barrels of crude oil gush from Iran’s major fields – including Ahvaz, Marun and Gachsaran – through pipelines to the island, known among Iranians as the “Forbidden Island” due to tight military controls.
Its long jetties, jutting into waters deep enough to accommodate oil supertankers, make the island a critical site for oil distribution. It processes 90% of Iran’s crude exports.
The island has long been key to Iran’s economy. A CIA document from 1984 said the facilities are “the most vital in Iran’s oil system, and their continued operation is essential to Iran’s economic well-being.” Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid recently said that destroying the terminal would “cripple Iran’s economy and topple the regime.”
Strikes continue against US-friendly Gulf nations
The UAE and Saudi Arabia reported interceptions on their territory early Saturday local time, while Bahrain urged residents to shelter in a safe place as Iranian attacks around the region continue.
Here’s the latest from the Gulf states:
UAE: Dubai authorities said debris from a “successful interception” struck a building in the city centre. “No fire occurred and no injuries were reported,” Dubai Media Office said at around 7 a.m. local time.
Saudi Arabia: The defense ministry reported a wave of attempted aerial attacks since midnight. It intercepted 19 drones — including 16 in the eastern region — and one ballistic missile launched toward the central Al-Kharj area.
Qatar: Armed forces intercepted a “missile attack” targeting the country, the ministry of defense said. A CNN team on the ground said they heard loud sounds from an interception operation. Qatar’s interior ministry said it was “evacuating a number of specified areas” as a precautionary measure “in the interest of public safety.”
Bahrain: Sirens sounded in the kingdom shortly after 1 a.m. local time, according to Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior, which urged residents to head to the nearest safe place.
Oman: The US Department of State late on Friday ordered non-emergency American government employees and their families to leave Oman due to safety risks.
Smoke rises from vicinity of US Embassy in Baghdad
Video geolocated by CNN on Saturday shows smoke and flames rising from a building in the vicinity of the US Embassy compound in Baghdad, Iraq.
It’s not clear yet if the embassy compound was directly hit. CNN has contacted the US State Department for comment.
Earlier this month, the State Department ordered non-emergency personnel and their family members to depart from countries including Iraq due to security concerns.
The State Department on Friday also ordered non-emergency American government employees and their families to leave Oman.
Two wars, two decades apart: The history of regime change
After launching US-Israeli strikes on Iran, President Donald Trump touted regime change as a goal – a pledge that invokes skepticism in the Middle East and beyond.
CNN Field Producer Zeena Saifi looks at the unintended consequences of foreign intervention and the worries that history may be poised to repeat itself.
After launching US-Israeli strikes on Iran, US President Donald Trump touted regime change as a goal – a pledge that invokes skepticism in the Middle East and beyond. CNN Field Producer Zeena Saifi looks at the unintended consequences of foreign intervention and the worries that history may be poised to repeat itself.
US said it hit military assets on Kharg Island, a crucial oil export hub. Here's what happened
President Donald Trump said on Friday the United States “totally obliterated every military target” on Iran’s Kharg Island, a critical crude export hub. He also threatened to attack the island’s oil infrastructure if Iran continues blocking ships from traversing the Strait of Hormuz.
Video posted to Truth Social by Trump and geolocated by CNN showed strikes on the island, including hits on airport facilities.
Following the strike, Iran said any attack on its energy infrastructure will lead to retaliatory strikes on regional facilities owned by oil companies that have American shares or cooperate with the United States, state media reported, citing Tehran’s Khatam al-Anbiya military command headquarters.
According to Iranian state media, no oil infrastructure was damaged in the strikes on Kharg Island, and more than 15 explosions were reported there.
Kharg Island is a five-mile stretch of land off the Iranian coast that handles roughly 90% of the country’s crude exports.
Source: Iran might allow oil through Strait of Hormuz if it's paid in Chinese yuan
President Donald Trump has threatened to attack the oil infrastructure on Iran’s Kharg Island if Tehran continues blocking ships from traversing the Strait of Hormuz.
He also said the US “totally obliterated every military target” on the island, which handles roughly 90% of Iran’s crude exports.
Separately, a senior official had told CNN that Iran is considering allowing a limited number of oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, provided that the oil cargo is traded in Chinese yuan.
The potential move comes as the Islamic Republic is working on a new plan to manage the flow of oil tankers through the Strait, the source added.
International oil is almost entirely traded in dollars, apart from sanctioned Russian oil, which is traded in roubles or yuan.
Market anxieties about the strait, which is a significant artery for the world’s energy, have pushed oil prices to their highest point since July 2022, the summer after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The United Nations warned on Friday that restrictions on the flow of ships through the strait will have an “immense impact” on humanitarian efforts as the war continues.
“When ships stop moving through that Strait, the consequences travel fast,” Tom Fletcher, the United Nations’ under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said. “Food, medicine, fertilizer and other supplies become harder to move and more expensive to deliver.”
Strikes on critical Iranian island and Marines head to region. Here are the latest headlines
The United States launched what it said were military strikes on an Iranian island critical to the country’s economy and oil exports Friday night, an attack that analysts warned raises the stakes as the US-Israel war entered its third week.
Here are more of today’s headlines:
Kharg Island: US President Donald Trump said the US bombed “every military target” on the island, and threatened to attack its oil infrastructure if Iran continues blocking ships from the Strait of Hormuz. The island is a critical oil export terminal that handles roughly 90% of Iran’s crude exports. Iran said any attack on its oil and energy infrastructure will lead to retaliatory strikes, though state media reported that no oil infrastructure was damaged.
Strait of Hormuz: Trump said Friday he believes US Navy escorts for tankers through the critical waterway will happen “soon.” Separately, a senior Iranian official told CNN that Tehran is considering allowing some vessels to pass through the strait, provided the cargo is traded in Chinese yuan.
Fuel crisis: Global oil prices settled at their highest level on Friday since July 2022 as anxiety about the effective closure of the strait continued across global markets. Countries are planning to dip into oil reserves as they grapple with the crisis.
Marines heading to region: The Pentagon is deploying a Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East, a rapid response unit that typically comprises around 2,500 Marines and sailors, officials told CNN. It’s not yet clear what the MEU will be used for or where exactly it will be deployed.
More strikes: Israel says it continued to strike Iran Friday night as the death toll from the war continues to rise. Falling debris from Iranian weapons caused blazes in two suburbs of Tel Aviv, Israeli officials said Friday. Israeli strikes killed nine people from the same family in Lebanon’s south, including four children.
Where is the supreme leader? The US government is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information on key Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. US Vice President JD Vance said Khamenei is “hurt” but “we don’t know exactly how bad.”
Read more about the conflict here as it enters its 15th day.
