EXPLAINERUS hits Iran’s Kharg island as it warns oil sites may be next if Tehran disrupts shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.Listen to this articleListen to this article | 8 minsinfo Published On 14 Mar 202614 Mar 2026Click here to share on social mediashare2Shareplus2googleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoThe United States-Israel war on Iran, now in its third week, continues to escalate after US forces struck military targets on Kharg Island, the critical hub through which most of Iran’s crude exports pass.US President Donald Trump said Washington deliberately spared the island’s oil infrastructure but warned that it could be attacked if Iran interferes with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.Recommended Stories list of 1 itemend of listTehran, meanwhile, has warned that any attack on its energy facilities would trigger retaliation against regional oil infrastructure and US-aligned assets, raising fears of a wider energy and security crisis across the Gulf.Here is what we know:In Iran
Joint attack: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) earlier said they had launched missiles and drones at Israel in coordination with Tehran’s Lebanese proxy Hezbollah. The IRGC said in a statement that the operation was part of their annual al-Quds Day, which is intended to show support for the Palestinian cause.
Iranian supreme leader ‘wounded’: US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said he believes Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is wounded. “We know the new so-called, not-so-supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured.”
$10m reward: The US Department of State offered a $10m reward for information about Khamenei and other top officials.
US attacks on Kharg island: Trump announced that US forces have bombed Iranian military installations on Kharg island, which he described as Iran’s “crown jewel”. The island is critical to Iran’s economy, as approximately 90 percent of the country’s oil exports pass through it before travelling through the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
Casualties rise: Since February 28, at least 1,444 people have been killed and 18,551 injured in US-Israel attacks on Iran.
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Iranian retaliation: Iran has been launching reciprocal drone and missile attacks against US assets, military bases, and commercial sites across the Gulf region.
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