Trump Orders ‘One of the Most Powerful Bombing Raids in History’ on Iran’s Oil Hub
President Donald Trump announced Friday evening that the United States military has “totally obliterated every military target” on Iran’s Kharg Island — the critical oil export terminal that handles 90% of Iran’s crude shipments — in what he called “one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East.”
The strike marks a dramatic escalation as Operation Epic Fury enters its 14th day, with over 50,000 US service members now deployed across the Middle East theater.
In a Truth Social post, Trump declared that while US forces deliberately spared Kharg Island’s oil infrastructure, that restraint comes with a clear warning: “Should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision.”
The threat sent shockwaves through global energy markets, already reeling from what the International Energy Agency has called the biggest oil supply disruption in history.
Kharg Island: Why It Matters
Kharg Island sits roughly 16 miles off Iran’s coast and approximately 300 miles northwest of the Strait of Hormuz. It is the beating heart of Iran’s oil export capability, serving as the terminal through which the vast majority of Iranian crude flows to global markets.
Remarkably, even as the war raged around it, Iran continued exporting oil from Kharg. Multiple very large crude oil tankers were loading at the island as recently as Wednesday, according to satellite imagery reviewed by TankerTrackers.com. Iran exported between 1.1 million and 1.5 million barrels per day from the start of the war through Wednesday — even as neighboring Gulf producers halted their own shipments due to fear of Iranian attacks.
Trump claimed Iran had “no ability to defend against U.S. attacks” and urged the Iranian military to “lay down their arms, and save what’s left of their country, which isn’t much!”
Energy analysts were skeptical of the limited nature of the strikes. “Bombing Kharg Island but not the oil infrastructure is like going to McDonald’s and getting a hamburger with no meat,” said Josh Young, chief investment officer at Bison Interests. “What’s the point?”
But markets will be watching closely for any sign of collateral damage to the island’s intricate network of pipelines, terminals, and oil storage tanks.
Six US Crew Members Killed in KC-135 Crash
The Kharg Island operation comes as the military confirmed that all six crew members aboard a KC-135 refueling tanker that crashed in western Iraq on Wednesday have died. US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated the crash was not caused by hostile or friendly fire, with the cause still under investigation.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine confirmed that three of the fallen airmen were members of the Ohio Air National Guard’s 121st Air Refueling Wing. “Fran and I are deeply saddened by this news and offer our sincere condolences to their families,” DeWine wrote on X.
The second tanker involved in the mid-air incident managed to land safely at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel after transmitting a squawk code of 7700 — the international emergency signal.
These are among the first confirmed US combat-theater deaths in Operation Epic Fury, bringing the human cost of the conflict into sharp focus.
Iran’s Drone Attacks Down 95% — But Strait of Hormuz Remains Shut
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a Friday morning briefing with encouraging numbers: Iranian strikes involving one-way attack drones have plummeted by roughly 95% since the operation began, according to senior defense officials.
Hegseth also revealed that Israeli and US forces have now struck more than 15,000 targets across Iran — a dramatically higher figure than the Pentagon had previously disclosed.
“Their navy has gone, their air force is gone. Most of their military is gone,” Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews.
Yet the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway through which one-fifth of the world’s oil flows — remains effectively shut. Iran has pivoted from larger naval vessels (over 30 of which CENTCOM has destroyed) to smaller boats for mine-laying operations, and is deploying unmanned surface vessels and drones to threaten commercial shipping.
US officials told the Wall Street Journal that Iran has deployed fewer than 10 naval mines in the strait so far, suggesting Tehran is deliberately avoiding a full-scale mining campaign that would also devastate its own economy. But the harassment has been enough to halt most commercial traffic.
Navy Escorts ‘Coming Soon’ — But Not Yet
Trump said Friday the US Navy will “soon” begin escorting commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent elaborated in a Sky News interview, saying the escorts could come “perhaps with an international coalition” and “as soon as it is militarily possible.”
But Energy Secretary Chris Wright offered a more cautious timeline, suggesting the Navy may not be ready to begin escort operations until the end of March. The military’s current focus remains on “destroying Iran’s offensive capabilities and the manufacturing industry that supplies their offensive capabilities.”
The escort question is critical. Oil prices have been whipsawing on Trump’s shifting comments about the war’s duration, and the continued closure of the strait has global economic implications far beyond the Middle East.
Iran’s New Supreme Leader Defiant
Mojtaba Khamenei — who assumed the role of Supreme Leader after his father Ali Khamenei was killed in the initial February 28 strikes — delivered his first public comments on Thursday. He vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz shut and issued a chilling warning to Iran’s Gulf neighbors: close US military bases on your territory or risk being attacked.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf went further Friday, warning that Iran would “abandon all restraint” if the US targets Iranian islands across the Persian Gulf.
Meanwhile, CENTCOM pushed back on Iranian disinformation, calling claims by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that the USS Abraham Lincoln had been rendered inoperable “false.” The carrier strike group “continues to dominate Iranian airspace from the sea,” CENTCOM stated.
The Toll So Far
As Operation Epic Fury enters its third week, the scale of the conflict is staggering:
- Over 2,000 people killed — including both civilians and military personnel, according to CNN estimates
- 15,000+ targets struck by US and Israeli forces across Iran
- 50,000+ US service members deployed to the theater, with 2,500 Marines being added
- 200 fighter aircraft, two aircraft carriers, and strategic bombers participating in operations
- 30+ Iranian minelaying ships destroyed by CENTCOM
- Iran’s drone attacks down 95% from the start of hostilities
The US has also issued a Level 3 travel advisory for Oman, ordering non-emergency government personnel to leave the country.
What Comes Next
Asked how long the conflict could last, Trump declined to give a timeline but struck an optimistic tone: “We’re way ahead of schedule.”
But behind the scenes, Reuters reported that Trump’s own advisers are vying to shape the outcome of a war whose exit strategy remains unclear. The conflict has already produced the largest oil supply disruption in history, killed thousands, and drawn in regional powers from Lebanon to the Gulf states.
The immediate questions: Will Iran escalate further in response to the Kharg Island strikes? Can the US Navy reopen the Strait of Hormuz before month’s end? And will Trump’s threat to target oil infrastructure push Tehran to the negotiating table — or into a corner?
One thing is certain: as this war enters its third week, the stakes for the entire global economy continue to rise.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.