Iran War Day 15 Live News: US pivots from usual army campaign in Kharg Island strike, Tehran warns America-linked oil cos, death tolls mount
From Beirut to Baghdad to the Strait of Hormuz, the conflict appears to be increasingly extending beyond the original battlefield, drawing in Gulf states and threatening the energy infrastructure that supports global oil markets.
While American forces hit military facilities on Kharg Island, the backbone of Iran’s oil export network in the Persian Gulf, Iran warned that it could target energy facilities linked to US oil companies operating in the region in retaliation.
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At the same time, explosions were reported in Tehran and Doha, and missile intercepts lit up the skies over Qatar’s capital as Iran continued its air offensive against Israel and several Gulf states.
Intensifying hostilities have already caused heavy losses in Western Asia; Thousands have died and millions have been displaced since the war began two weeks ago.
USA hit Iran’s oil pipelineThe White House confirmed that US forces targeted military facilities on Kharg Island early Saturday; this was one of the most significant offensives of the conflict so far.
The island accounts for the vast majority of Iran’s crude oil exports and is considered the “crown jewel” of the country’s energy infrastructure. By striking military facilities there, Washington signaled that the campaign could increasingly target the economic foundations of the Iranian state.
The attack represents a shift in the US military campaign known as ‘Operation Epic Fury’, which largely focused on disrupting Iran’s missile capabilities and military infrastructure in the first two weeks of the war.
Also Read | Trump said the US hit military targets on Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil hub, calling it the country’s ‘crown jewel’
President Donald Trump defended the move, saying the strikes were designed to weaken Tehran’s ability to continue fighting.
Trump, a two-time US President, said in a post on Truth Social that the military “completely destroyed every MILITARY target” on the island but deliberately avoided attacking oil export facilities.
“If Iran or anyone else does anything to prevent the free and safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision,” Trump said in his post.
Iran warns of attacks on US-linked energy facilities
Iran immediately responded to the Kharg Island attack with a stern warning.
The unified combatant command of the Iranian Armed Forces said that any attack on the country’s oil or energy infrastructure would lead to retaliatory attacks on facilities owned by oil companies cooperating with the United States in the region, Reuters reported, citing Iranian media.
The statement raised the possibility that if the war continues to escalate, the oil facilities in the Gulf, which host most Western companies, may become targets.
Also Read | Iran warns of attacks on US-linked regional oil companies after attack on major US oil export hub
Meanwhile, Washington has already begun to strengthen its military presence.
A US official said the Pentagon had ordered the deployment of an amphibious assault ship and about 2,500 additional marines to West Asia; This is a major boost as the war enters its third week and shows little sign of slowing down.
Explosion shakes Tehran rally
Tension in Iran has once again spread to the capital.
A massive explosion shook Tehran’s central square, where thousands of people had gathered for an annual state rally expressing support for the Palestinians and calling for the destruction of Israel.
Israel had previously warned that it could strike the region. Despite the explosion, there was no loss of life.
Israel generally continues to carry out comprehensive attacks across Iran.
The Israeli military said its air force hit more than 200 targets in western and central Iran in the past day, including ballistic missile launchers, air defense systems and weapons production facilities.
Missiles seized in Qatar
The conflict also spread deeper into the Gulf early on Saturday.
Explosions were heard in Doha after Qatar’s interior ministry said authorities had evacuated some key areas in the capital, according to AFP journalists.
Eyewitnesses said air defense interceptors were seen dropping two shells in downtown Doha.
Qatar’s defense ministry later confirmed that its military had foiled a missile attack targeting the country.
On the other hand, as the conflicts escalated, Iran also launched unmanned aerial vehicles, which reportedly flew into the airspaces of Kuwait, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman.
Heavy losses in the region
The war caused rapidly increasing death rates in many countries.
In Iran, government figures say more than 1,200 people, including 200 women and 200 children, have died and more than 10,000 have been injured in the past two weeks. Human rights observers estimate that the actual death toll may be significantly higher, at around 1,825 deaths, mostly civilians.
So far, 14 people have died in Israel, including 12 civilians killed in Iran’s missile attack; four of them were children. Two Israeli soldiers were also killed during combat operations in southern Lebanon.
Lebanon saw some of the heaviest losses outside of Iran. At least 773 people, including 103 children, have died in clashes between Israel and Hezbollah since the beginning of March.
At least 26 people, including civilians and security personnel, lost their lives in the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula.
Kuwait reported six deaths, including two soldiers and two civilians, including an 11-year-old girl; The United Arab Emirates reported six deaths, including military personnel killed in a helicopter crash.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman also reported casualties from the widening conflict.
The war also spread to neighboring countries.
At least 46 people have been killed in Iraq, including Iranian-backed militia fighters, security personnel and civilians.
The Pentagon also confirmed that six U.S. crew members were killed when a refueling plane crashed in western Iraq in what officials described as a non-hostile incident.
A French soldier serving in the Kurdistan region was also killed by an Iranian drone.
Jordan reported that 14 people were injured caused by debris falling from intercepted missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, while Syria reported eight people were injured in similar incidents during air exchanges between Iranian and Israeli forces.
(With agency input)
