THE United States (US) has launched a major airstrike on Kharg Island, a strategic Iranian oil hub in the Persian Gulf, with the US President Donald Trump boasting that American forces destroyed military targets on the island.
He also issued a stern warning to Tehran against interfering with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement on Saturday, March 14, Trump said the operation was carried out by his country’s Central Command, describing it as one of the most powerful bombing raids in the Middle East.
“Moments ago, at my direction, the United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East and totally obliterated every military target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island,” he said.
Trump noted that the strike targeted military installations on the island but deliberately avoided damaging oil infrastructure.
“Our weapons are the most powerful and sophisticated that the world has ever known but, for reasons of decency, I have chosen not to wipe out the oil infrastructure on the island,” he said, warning that the facilities could become targets if Iran interferes with shipping routes.
“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,” he added.
Trump also reiterated Washington’s stance on Iran’s nuclear programme, declaring that Tehran would “never have a nuclear weapon” and asserting that the country lacked the capacity to face America’s military strength.
Kharg Island, located about 25 kilometres off Iran’s coast in the Persian Gulf, is the country’s most important oil export terminal and handles the bulk of Iran’s crude shipments.
Because of its significance to global energy markets, any attack on the island is widely seen as a potential trigger for disruptions to international oil supplies and price volatility.
The Strait of Hormuz, which links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, is one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, with a large share of global oil shipments passing through the narrow waterway daily.
While the US noted that it had avoided critical oil infrastructure, Israel’s Air Force struck two oil refineries and two fuel depots on Saturday, March 7, sending thick black smoke billowing across Tehran and plunging parts of the Iranian capital into ‘apocalyptic’ darkness.
Missile attack hits US embassy in Baghdad
Meanwhile, tensions in the Middle East intensified further after the US embassy in Baghdad came under missile attack on Saturday.
According to Aljazeera, a projectile struck a helipad inside the embassy compound located in the heavily fortified Green Zone, causing smoke to rise from the facility.
Officials who spoke with the platform, said the missile damaged part of the embassy’s air defence system, though there was no immediate confirmation of casualties or the extent of the damage.
The attack marks the second time the US embassy in Baghdad has been targeted since the start of the current conflict on February 28.
The ICIR reports that Iran-aligned armed groups operating in Iraq have repeatedly threatened to target US interests in the region in retaliation for strikes carried out by Washington and its allies.
The attack occurred shortly after US strikes reportedly hit positions belonging to Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed armed group in Iraq, killing two members including a senior figure, according to security sources.
Several Tehran-aligned groups operating under the umbrella movement known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq have claimed responsibility for drone and rocket attacks against US bases across the region.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M