President Donald Trump claimed late Friday that the United States had executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East, announcing that US forces had completely destroyed every military target on Iran’s Kharg Island, the country’s primary oil export hub. Trump’s statement came after a day in which he had publicly celebrated the military campaign, calling Iranian leaders “deranged scumbags” and framing their deaths as a personal honor for him as the 47th president. The comments marked yet another escalation in tone and action from Washington.
Iran’s Kharg Island is critical to the country’s economy, serving as the main terminal through which Tehran exports its oil to global markets. Trump warned that he had chosen not to destroy the island’s oil infrastructure for now, but threatened to change that decision immediately if Iran interfered with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies travel through the strait, and Iran has already been attacking vessels in the waterway.
The broader conflict showed no signs of diminishing, with fresh strikes reported across Tehran on Friday night and attacks spreading to neighboring countries. Qatar’s interior ministry issued evacuation orders for parts of Doha before explosions were heard in the capital, though the defence ministry later confirmed a successful missile interception. In Lebanon, at least eight people were killed and nine wounded in an Israeli strike on the coastal city of Sidon.
Residents of Tehran continued to describe scenes of devastation and fear, with one shopkeeper reporting she could no longer hear approaching drones because the explosions had become so continuous. A retired professor described a city where people risked their lives simply by going to work, with sick relatives unable to leave and petrol supplies too scarce to allow escape. Iranian authorities have reported over 1,300 deaths in the country since the conflict began.
The human cost of the war has also touched American forces, with six service members killed in an accident involving a mid-air refuelling aircraft that crashed in Iraq. Thirteen US personnel have now died in total, with eight more suffering severe injuries. France lost a soldier in a drone strike attributed to a pro-Iranian militia group in Iraq, underscoring how broadly the conflict has expanded beyond its original flashpoints.