Iran threatened on Saturday (March 14, 2026) to scale back U.S.-linked oil services to “a pile of ashes” because the two-week-old West Asia struggle spilled over into a world oil value disaster.
Iranian armed forces issued the warning after U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned he could determine to “wipe out” Iran’s largest oil export hub on its Kharg Island.
Iran-Israel struggle LIVE updates
Waves of drone, missile and aerial bombing have displaced tens of millions within the area and reportedly killed greater than 1,200 folks in Iran since the USA and Israel opened hostilities on February 28.
Regardless of going through superior U.S. and Israeli firepower, Iran has retaliated with missile and drone assaults towards at the very least 10 nations.
Tehran has additionally squeezed the world financial system by threatening to strike oil tankers on the Strait of Hormuz, bringing site visitors to a digital halt on a route that usually carries one fifth of world oil provides.
Crude oil costs have surged extra 40% because the struggle started.
Mr. Trump mentioned on Friday (March 13, 2026) U.S. forces had “completely obliterated” all army targets on Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub, describing it in a social media submit as “probably the most highly effective bombing raids within the Historical past of the Center East.”
The U.S. chief mentioned he had chosen to not “wipe out” oil infrastructure on the Iranian island, for now.
“Nonetheless, ought to Iran, or anybody else, do something to intrude with the Free and Secure Passage of Ships by means of the Strait of Hormuz, I’ll instantly rethink this determination,” he mentioned.
Mr. Trump mentioned the U.S. Navy would begin escorting tankers by means of the Strait of Hormuz “very quickly” to revive oil exports.
The Iranian army responded that oil and vitality infrastructure owned by US-linked corporations could be “instantly be destroyed and become a pile of ashes” if the USA struck its oil services, in line with Iranian media.
U.S. and Israeli assaults have killed greater than 1,200 folks in Iran, in line with well being ministry figures that would not be independently verified.
The UN refugee company has estimated that as much as 3.2 million folks have been displaced inside Iran because the struggle began.
Blasts hit Tehran
Heavy blasts shook Tehran late on Friday (March 13) after the USA vowed to step up air strikes.
Mr. Trump described Iran as “completely defeated” and searching for a deal he was unwilling to think about.
In response to the Pentagon, the U.S. and Israel have struck greater than 15,000 targets in Iran over the previous two weeks.
Israel’s army mentioned it performed 7,600 strikes on the nation, most of them towards its missile programme.
Iran seems intent on exhibiting it is going to come by means of the struggle intact and in management, regardless of its supreme chief Ali Khamenei being killed initially of the US-Israeli marketing campaign.
Khamenei’s son Mojtaba Khamenei was named the brand new supreme chief, however has been absent from public view and mentioned to be wounded.
Inside Iran, the Revolutionary Guards have warned of a robust response to any anti-government protests, after demonstrations in January through which a number of thousand folks had been killed.
Iranian authorities have maintained an web blackout because the struggle began.
A drone struck the US embassy in Baghdad on Saturday, an Iraqi safety official and a safety supply mentioned. An AFP journalist noticed smoke rising from the advanced.
The assault befell shortly after two Iran-backed fighters had been killed in strikes on Iraq’s capital, in line with a number of sources.
After 14 days of struggle, the USA is reportedly sending reinforcements that would open up choices past the airborne marketing campaign.
The Wall Road Journal and New York Occasions mentioned Friday the Pentagon had dispatched the Japan-based amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli to the area together with its complement of some 2,500 Marines.
The U.S. army has misplaced 13 personnel because the struggle began.
They embody six who had been aboard a refuelling plane that crashed in Iraq, an incident that US officers mentioned was not the results of hostile fireplace.
Gulf nations are nonetheless being focused by Iran.
Missiles intercepted
Qatar mentioned it intercepted two missiles Saturday, after blasts had been heard within the capital Doha and authorities mentioned that they had evacuated some key areas.
Interceptors had been seen downing two projectiles over the Qatari capital’s downtown space and blasts had been heard, in line with AFP journalists.
Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry mentioned its forces had intercepted dozens of drones on Friday.
Past the Gulf, Turkey mentioned NATO forces shot down a ballistic missile launched from Iran — the third such interception within the struggle.
Lebanon has been drawn into the struggle, too, after a Tehran-backed militant group attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iran’s supreme chief.
An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon killed a dozen medical doctors, paramedics and nurses at a healthcare clinic, Lebanese well being authorities mentioned Saturday.
In response to the Lebanese authorities, at the very least 773 folks have been killed by Israeli assaults in Lebanon geared toward wiping out Iranian ally Hezbollah.
Revealed – March 14, 2026 11:11 am IST