President Trump says the United States has hit what may be the most valuable piece of real estate in Iran's energy network. In a Truth Social post on Friday night, the president claimed that American forces bombed Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf, calling it Iran's "crown jewel" and saying "every MILITARY target" there was "totally obliterated." The Washington Post reports it couldn't independently confirm the scale of the damage. Kharg handles roughly 90% of Iran's oil exports, and a serious blow there could further constrict an economy already under pressure and complicate Tehran's ability to fund its military.
Trump said he deliberately avoided striking the island's oil facilities—for now—but warned that could change if Iran continues to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the key route for global oil flows where traffic has largely stalled during the conflict. Pentagon officials earlier had labeled Friday the likely peak day for "kinetic fires" against Iranian missile, drone, and mine-laying capabilities.
Analysts say the Kharg strikes could set up a possible move to seize the island, though US officials aren't saying whether a ground operation is planned there. Oil prices, already elevated since the launch of Operation Epic Fury, keep climbing; Trump has predicted they'll come "tumbling down, along with everything else" once the fighting ends, without offering a timeline.
The AP notes that Iran's parliamentary speaker had cautioned such a strike on Kharg could spur further retaliation. Meanwhile, a militia in Iraq said to be backed by Iran claimed on Saturday that it had carried out an early morning strike on the US Embassy in Baghdad, which was confirmed by two Iraqi security officials, per the New York Times. CNN has video showing smoke rising from the area near the embassy.
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