Dubai, United Arab Emirates — President Donald Trump said the United States destroyed military sites on an island vital to Iran’s oil network and warned that its oil infrastructure could be next if Iran It continues to interfere with the passage of ships through it Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said that US forces on Friday “destroyed” targets on Iran’s Kharg Island, which houses the main terminal that handles Iranian oil exports. The Iranian Parliament Speaker warned that such strikes would provoke a new level of retaliation.
Meanwhile, a US official said an additional 2,500 Marines and amphibious assault ships would be sent to the Middle East. Nearly two weeks after the war with the Islamic Republic
Iran has continued to launch large-scale missile and drone attacks on Israel and neighboring Gulf states, effectively closing off space. Strait of HormuzThrough which a fifth of the world’s oil trade passes, even as US and Israeli warplanes bomb military and other targets across Iran.
The humanitarian crisis in Lebanon has worsened, with nearly 800 people killed And 850 thousand displaced people At a time when Israel launched waves of strikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters and warned that there would be no let up.
Elements of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli have been ordered to proceed to the Middle East, according to the U.S. official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans.
Marine units can conduct amphibious landings, but also specialize in enhancing security at embassies, civilian evacuation, and disaster relief. Publication does not necessarily indicate that a ground operation is imminent or will occur.
The Marines’ new deployment was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, along with HMS Tripoli and other amphibious assault ships carrying Marines, are based in Japan and have been in the Pacific Ocean for several days, according to photos released by the Army. The Tripoli was spotted by commercial satellites sailing alone near Taiwan, putting it more than a week away from waters off Iran.
Earlier in the week, the Navy had 12 ships, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and eight destroyers, operating in the Arabian Sea. If the Tripoli ship joins this fleet, it will be the second largest ship after the Lincoln in the region.
While the total number of US service personnel on the ground in the Middle East is not clear, Al Udeid Air Base alone, one of the largest in the region, typically hosts about 8,000 US troops in Qatar.
American strikes continue Iranian Kharg Island Trump said in a post on social media that the United States in the Persian Gulf targeted military sites but left the oil infrastructure alone for the time being.
But he warned that if Iran or any other party interferes with the passage of ships through it Strait of HormuzHe will reconsider his decision not to “destroy the oil infrastructure.”
ThursdaySpeaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to caution In a social media post, attacks on the islands on Iran’s southern maritime border would make Iran “abandon all restraint,” underscoring how important they are to the country’s economy and security.
Two Iraqi security officials said that a missile hit a helipad inside the US embassy compound in Baghdad.
Associated Press footage showed a plume of smoke rising Saturday morning above the embassy compound.
The sprawling embassy complex, one of the largest US diplomatic facilities in the world, has been repeatedly targeted by missiles and drones launched by militias allied with Iran.
There was no immediate comment from the US Embassy in Baghdad. On Friday, the embassy renewed its Level 4 security alert for Iraq, warning that Iran and allied militias have previously carried out attacks against American citizens, interests, and infrastructure, and “may continue to target them.”
Earlier on Friday, a large explosion rocked a central square in the Iranian capital, where thousands of people gathered to participate in an annual state-organized march to support the Palestinians and call for the demise of Israel. There were no reports of casualties.
The explosion that occurred in Tehran shook the Ferdowsi Square area at midday, where thousands gathered for the annual Jerusalem Day march, chanting “Death to Israel” and “Death to America.”
Israel issued a warning on the X account in Persian for people to evacuate the area shortly before the explosion. But few Iranians would have seen it, as the authorities had almost completely shut down the internet. The footage showed people chanting “Allahu Akbar” as smoke rose in the area.
The Israeli army later published a second message in Persian, noting that the head of the Iranian judiciary was present at the march and criticizing Iran for preventing many from seeing their warning.
The hardliner who leads Iran’s judiciary, Gholam Hossein Mohseni Eji, was giving an interview on state television during the demonstration when the attack occurred. Surrounded by his bodyguards, he raised his fist and said that Iran “under this rain and missiles will never withdraw.”
Israel earlier announced another wave of strikes in Iran targeting infrastructure, and said that its air force had struck more than 200 targets during the past 24 hours, including missile launchers, defense systems and weapons production sites.
In Washington, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that more than 15,000 enemy targets had been struck, meaning more than 1,000 targets per day since the start of the war.
He also sought to address concerns about bottling Strait of Hormuz“We have dealt with it and there is no need to worry about it,” he told reporters.
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Hike reported from Bangkok. Torobin reported from Washington, and Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands. Associated Press writers Sally Abu Al-Joud, Karim Chehayeb and Bassem Mroue in Beirut; Mednick Medal in Tel Aviv, Israel; Will Weisert at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland; Tia Goldenberg in Washington contributed to this story.