President Donald Trump said that US forces bombed military sites on Iran's Kharg Island on Friday — home to the primary terminal that handles the country's oil exports — and warned that the island's oil infrastructure could be next. This comes a day after the speaker of the Iranian parliament said such a strike would provoke a new level of retaliation.
Meanwhile, an American official said 2,500 more Marines and an amphibious assault ship are being sent to the Middle East nearly two weeks into the war with the Islamic Republic.
Earlier Friday in the Iranian capital, a large explosion rocked a central square where thousands of people had gathered for an annual state-organised rally to support the Palestinians and call for Israel's demise. This followed Israeli warnings that the area in central Tehran would be targeted. There were no reports of casualties.
Iran continues to launch missile and drone attacks on Israel and nearby Gulf states. It has closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil passes. Meanwhile, US and Israeli warplanes bombard military and other targets across Iran.
The humanitarian crisis in Lebanon deepened, with nearly 800 people killed and 850,000 displaced as Israel launched waves of strikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants and warned there would be no let-up.
In an interview with a media outlet, Trump said the war would end “when I feel it in my bones.”
“So I really think that's a big hurdle to climb for people that don't have weapons,” Trump added, citing Iran's paramilitary Basij force, which has played a central role in crushing recent nationwide protests.
Trump warned that if Iran or anyone else interferes with the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, he will reconsider his decision not to “wipe out the Oil Infrastructure.” On Thursday, the Iranian parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, warned in a social media post that attacks on the islands on Iran's southern maritime frontier would cause Iran to “abandon all restraint,” underscoring how central they are to the country's economy and security.
An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon hit a health care centre in the village of Burj Qalaouiyah, killing 12 doctors, paramedics, and nurses, the Lebanese Health Ministry said early Saturday.
The ministry said 773 people — including more than 100 children and 18 paramedics — have been killed since fighting erupted between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants 10 days ago.
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