Pillars of Flame Over Tehran as Israel Hits Oil Storage Facility
The Iran war took a dramatic new turn Saturday night as pillars of flame rose over Tehran following strikes on a major oil storage facility — marking the first time a civilian industrial target has been hit since the conflict began eight days ago.
Israel’s military confirmed it struck the fuel storage facilities in Iran’s capital. Associated Press video captured the horizon glowing against the night sky. Iranian state media blamed “an attack from the U.S. and the Zionist regime” and said the facility supplies Tehran and surrounding northern provinces.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasn’t holding back, promising “many surprises” for the next phase of the conflict.
“We’re not looking to settle,” President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “They’d like to settle. We’re not looking to settle.” He described ongoing U.S. operations in Iran as an “excursion.”
Missile Hits US Embassy Compound in Baghdad — A First
In what may be the most alarming development of the day, a missile landed on the helicopter landing pad inside the US Embassy complex in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone. Three Iraqi security officials confirmed the strike to the Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity.
It was the first reported strike to land in the Green Zone since Operation Epic Fury began. Iran and allied Iraqi militias have launched dozens of attacks on U.S. military bases and facilities in Iraq throughout the conflict, but this one penetrated one of the most heavily defended compounds in the Middle East.
Iraq’s caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani condemned the embassy attack as a “terrorist act” carried out by “rogue groups.”
The embassy spokesperson declined to comment. There were no reports of casualties.
Oil Surges Past $90 — Strait of Hormuz Effectively Shut Down
The economic fallout from the Iran war is hitting Americans where it hurts most: at the gas pump.
American crude settled at $90.90 a barrel Friday — up 36% in a single week. Brent crude, the international benchmark, hit $92.69, surging 27%. And there’s no sign of prices cooling off.
The reason is simple: roughly 20 million barrels of oil per day remain stranded in the Persian Gulf, unable to safely navigate the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway bordered by Iran that serves as the world’s most critical oil chokepoint.
Gasoline in the U.S. jumped to $3.41 per gallon, up 43 cents from just a week ago. Diesel hit $4.51, up 75 cents. But Europe and Asia are getting hammered even harder — diesel prices have doubled in Europe, and jet fuel costs have spiked nearly 200% in Asia, according to Rystad Energy.
Kuwait announced Saturday it would reduce its oil production as a “precautionary” measure, a move analysts warned could further jolt global energy markets.
About 9 million barrels per day are now effectively off the market due to damaged facilities and precautionary shutdowns. “Right now, with all of this shut in, we are in a situation of extreme deficit,” said Claudio Galimberti, chief economist at Rystad Energy.
Trump issued a plan Friday to insure losses up to approximately $20 billion in the Gulf region, aiming to restore confidence in maritime trade. But energy experts remain skeptical.
“All it takes is one individual with an RPG to stand on the shore and take out a tanker,” said Al Salazar, head of macro oil and gas research at Enverus. “And this is forever.”
Iran’s Power Struggle: Moderates vs. Hardliners
Behind the frontlines, a dangerous rift is emerging inside Iran’s leadership.
Since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the war’s opening airstrikes, a three-member leadership council has been running the country. But that council is deeply divided.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian — a relative moderate — recorded a hurried message Saturday ordering the military to stop attacking neighboring countries unless Iran is attacked by those nations first. “I think we should solve this through diplomacy,” he said.
He also dismissed Trump’s demand for unconditional surrender: “That’s a dream that they should take to their grave.”
But hard-line judiciary chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, another council member, directly contradicted Pezeshkian. “Intense attacks on these targets will continue,” he posted on X, arguing that U.S. bases in neighboring countries make those nations legitimate targets.
Iran’s Parliament speaker and former Revolutionary Guard general Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf backed the hard-line position: “As long as U.S. bases are present in the region, the countries will not enjoy peace.”
Late Saturday, top security official Ali Larijani attempted to smooth things over, claiming “our leaders are united” — while also announcing that the Assembly of Experts would be convened to choose the next supreme leader.
The power struggle matters because the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard controls Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal and historically answered only to the supreme leader. With Khamenei dead, the IRGC appears to be calling its own shots.
The War Spreads: Strikes Across the Region
The violence Saturday wasn’t limited to Tehran and Baghdad.
Lebanon: Israeli airstrikes killed eight people in southern Lebanon. An Israeli drone hit a hotel in Beirut, killing four and wounding 10 others. Israel’s military said it targeted commanders of the Lebanese branch of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force. At least 47 other people were killed in Saturday’s Israeli strikes on Lebanon.
UAE: Hours after Pezeshkian’s apology to Gulf neighbors, debris from an aerial interception in the United Arab Emirates fell onto a vehicle and killed a driver. Four foreign nationals have now been killed in the UAE since the war started.
Bahrain: Sirens sounded across the island kingdom as Iran targeted it with missiles and drones.
Saudi Arabia: The kingdom said it destroyed drones headed toward its massive Shaybah oil field and shot down a ballistic missile aimed at Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts U.S. forces.
Kuwait: Authorities reported drones targeting fuel tanks at Kuwait International Airport and a government building in Kuwait City.
Iraq: At least two people were killed by strikes in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region.
Meanwhile, incoming missiles from Iran sent people scrambling to bomb shelters across Israel. No Israeli casualties were reported Saturday.
Russia Enters the Picture
As if the situation weren’t volatile enough, the Washington Post reported that Russia is providing Iran with intelligence to target U.S. forces, citing unnamed officials. The revelation adds a Cold War-style dimension to an already complex conflict.
By the Numbers: Week One of the Iran War
- 1,230+ killed in Iran
- 290+ killed in Lebanon
- 11 killed in Israel
- 6 U.S. troops killed
- Oil at $90.90/barrel — up 36% in one week
- Gas at $3.41/gallon — up 43 cents in one week
- 9 million barrels/day effectively off the global market
- 20 million barrels/day stranded in the Persian Gulf
Trump Rules Out Kurdish Involvement
In a notable strategic decision, Trump told reporters Saturday that he has ruled out having Kurds join the war, despite Kurdish-Iranian dissident groups in northern Iraq preparing for a potential cross-border operation.
“The war is complicated enough without having the Kurds involved,” Trump said.
Days earlier, Kurdish officials had told the AP that the U.S. had asked Iraqi Kurds to support Kurdish-Iranian dissident groups gearing up for a military operation inside Iran. Trump’s reversal suggests concerns about further destabilizing an already chaotic theater.
What Happens Next
The war’s stated goals continue to shift. Initially framed around Iran’s nuclear program, the objectives have expanded to include targeting military capabilities, leadership decapitation, and — at various points — regime change.
Trump initially said the U.S. expected operations to last four to five weeks. But with oil prices spiraling, regional allies taking damage, and Iran’s leadership fragmented but defiant, the path to resolution is anything but clear.
With Netanyahu promising “many surprises,” the Revolutionary Guard calling its own shots, and a missile sitting in the Green Zone, the Iran war’s second week looks set to be even more volatile than its first.
Sources: Associated Press, Washington Post, Fox News, Reuters