US President Donald Trump announced that American forces "destroyed" Iranian military facilities on Harg Island, located off the southwestern coast of Iran. He also warned of the possibility of new attacks on the region's oil infrastructures.
According to the Iranian Fars news agency, thick smoke is observed over Harg, however, Iranian military operations continue despite Trump's claims of the destruction of their facilities.
“The restoration of defensive structures on the island less than an hour after the attacks refutes [Trump's] claims,” Fars reported.
According to the agency, more than 15 explosions were heard during the attacks on the island.
Sources also noted that the oil facilities on the island were not damaged.
An Iranian army representative indicated that if Iranian facilities are damaged, they will respond with strikes on American oil infrastructure.
The spokesperson for the Central Command "Khatam al-Anbia" issued a statement, which is apparently a response to Trump's remarks about the attack on Harg.
According to Iranian media reports, he noted that in the event of an attack on Iran's oil facilities, "all oil and energy infrastructure belonging to companies linked to the US will be destroyed."
Earlier, Trump claimed that the US attacked Iranian military facilities on Harg and warned of a possible attack on Iran's oil infrastructure.
A powerful explosion and fire occurred at a major refinery in Texas.
According to local media, the explosion ignited fuel tanks at the Bayport Choate petrochemical plant.
Firefighters have been battling the blaze for several hours. The causes of the incident have not yet been established; authorities are considering versions including possible attacks by Mexican or Venezuelan drug cartels, as well as the IRGC.
At the same time, Iran is considering allowing a limited number of oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz on the condition of settlements in Chinese yuan, CNN reports.
According to the Associated Press, Iraqi officials reported a missile attack on the helicopter pad of the US embassy in Baghdad.
While the governments of many states praised Trump for initiating the conflict with Iran, in closed negotiations they express "concern and fury," according to Bloomberg.
According to the agency, one of the leaders of the Persian Gulf states expressed disappointment with the actions of the US and doubts about Trump's clear plan in a conversation with a European colleague. Another European leader is also reportedly concerned about the potential consequences of the war for the global economy and security.
Iran denies launching missiles toward Turkey, considering it a provocation by the US and Israel, the Iranian military headquarters reported.
Tehran demands an investigation into incidents involving alleged missile launches from Iran toward Turkey.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that Iran attacked 10 sites where Israeli officials could be located.
According to Bloomberg reports, the US has sent 10,000 Merops interceptor drones to the Middle East to counter Iranian attacks, said US Army Secretary Driscoll.
The AI drones were dispatched within five days after the start of the US-Israeli operation against Iran.
Earlier, Trump stated that the US does not need Ukraine's help to defend against drones.
Disruptions in energy supplies from the Persian Gulf are expected to continue. If in the first days after the start of US and Israeli attacks on Iran traders expected short-term consequences, they are now preparing for prolonged turbulence that could last weeks or even months, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Traders are concerned about the sharp rise in oil prices: the price of Brent futures has again exceeded $100 per barrel. The situation in the Strait of Hormuz is also causing concern, as shipping has been threatened amid escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Overview of events:
- Iraqi officials reported a missile strike on the helicopter pad of the US embassy in Baghdad.
- The Iranian Fars agency reported thick smoke over Harg Island following Trump's statement about bombings of Iranian military facilities.
- An Iranian armed forces representative warned that in the event of an attack on Iran's oil infrastructure, they would respond to US-linked targets.
- Some Persian Gulf countries, including Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, reported intercepting aerial attacks from Iran. Israel has also come under fire and has repeatedly intercepted missiles.
- The Iranian Tasnim agency reported the death of a three-year-old child as a result of a missile strike in Khuzestan province.
- As a result of an Israeli strike on a medical center in southern Lebanon, 12 medical workers were killed, the Lebanese health ministry reported.
2,500 Marines became the first US ground troops deployed in the conflict with Iran.
Author: Roziland Jordan
Report from Washington, D.C., USA.
Members of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit are deploying from their base in Okinawa, Japan, along with the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli.
From this ship, the Marines will be sent "to the theater of operations" — whether to respond to a crisis or to seize Iranian territory.
Essentially, they are considered the first ground troops deployed in the US-Israeli war against Iran, although in reality, the Marines can operate both on land and at sea.
This indicates that the US is gradually increasing its military presence in the conflict and does not intend to end it anytime soon.
According to the Wall Street Journal, in recent days five US Air Force refueling aircraft were damaged at a base in Saudi Arabia.
According to the Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed US officials, the planes were damaged as a result of an Iranian attack, although the timing of the attack is not specified.
The US Central Command declined to comment on the situation.
In the UAE, 10 people were arrested for posting videos on social media amid the conflict.
The Attorney General of the United Arab Emirates announced the arrest of 10 individuals of various nationalities for posting both real and "fake" videos on social media showing attacks on the country.
According to the WAM agency, the video content included the deployment of UAE air defense systems and the detonation of "shells," as well as artificially created or fabricated videos with fake explosions and attacks on well-known landmarks.
The prosecutor stated that the publication of these materials, "regardless of their authenticity," creates confusion and undermines public safety, providing "hostile media" with information to undermine trust in the government.
The defendants face at least one year in prison and a fine of 100,000 dirhams ($27,224) for "intentional deception, endangering public safety, spreading terror, and undermining public order," WAM reported.
Missile strikes have been recorded in northern Galilee, Israel.
According to the Israel Home Front Command, a missile strike occurred near Kfar Giladi, Kfar Yuval, and Metula in northern Israel at 04:22 local time (02:22 GMT).
Residents of the affected areas were advised to seek shelter in protected zones.
A report from the Israeli public broadcaster KAN showed vehicles damaged as a result of the "strike in Upper Galilee" on Friday morning.
Human rights organizations sharply condemned US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for stating that Iran will receive "no mercy" during the ongoing military campaign.
“We will continue to push. We will continue to advance, continue to move forward. No mercy for our enemies,” Hegseth told reporters on Friday.
The military terminology using the phrase "no mercy" implies a refusal to capture and cruel treatment of the opponent. Such threats contradict the Hague Convention and other international legal norms.
According to US domestic law, for example, the Military Crimes Act of 1996, such threats are also prohibited. US military codes warn that expressions like "no mercy" are illegal.
Brian Finucane, a senior advisor at the International Crisis Group, pointed out that Hegseth's words contradict these standards.
“These comments are extremely shocking,” Finucane noted in an interview with Al Jazeera.
“It raises questions about how such aggressive and lawless rhetoric is implemented in reality on the battlefield.”
Details can be found here.
Among the 12 killed in the Israeli strike on a Lebanese clinic were doctors, nurses, and paramedics.
Author: Heidi Pett
Report from Beirut, Lebanon.
According to the latest data from the Ministry of Health, since the beginning of the conflict in the country, 773 people have died, including 103 children, and more than 1,900 have been injured.
Just received information from the Ministry of Health about a missile strike in a village in the south of the country, where the Burj-Kalauiya medical center was affected, resulting in the deaths of 12 people, including doctors, nurses, and paramedics.
These are only preliminary data, and searches for the missing continue.
It is evident that individual airstrikes have been extremely devastating, not only in the south but also in the capital, Beirut.
The material "War in Iran: Americans bomb Harg Island, Iranian military threatens to destroy oil infrastructure linked to the US" was first published on the K-News website.
