Washington/Persian Gulf, 14 March (H.S.): President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces have obliterated military targets on Iran's Kharg Island, the nation's primary oil export hub handling nearly 90 percent of its crude shipments, while pledging imminent Navy escorts for tankers navigating the volatile Strait of Hormuz.
In a stark Truth Social post, Trump described the raids as one of the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East, sparing oil infrastructure for now but warning of swift retaliation should Iran disrupt shipping lanes further.
It'll happen soon, very soon, he affirmed when pressed on Navy deployments, amid Iranian drone and missile barrages that have paralyzed a chokepoint for one-fifth of global oil and LNG flows, spiking Brent crude above $100 per barrel.
The Pentagon has surged assets including the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli with 2,500 Marines from Japan, positioning U.S. naval power to reclaim safe passage through Hormuz after weeks of blockade-like disruptions. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed intensified bombardments, with over 15,000 U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian targets in the past fortnight, as Tehran rallies with Death to America protests despite Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's death and his son Mojtaba's shrouded status—now subject to a $10 million U.S. bounty.
Regional allies report interceptions: Qatar downed missiles over Doha, Saudi forces neutralized drone swarms, and NATO allies in Turkey felled a ballistic projectile, underscoring the Navy's pivotal role in a multi-front escalation.
Casualties underscore the stakes, with all six crew aboard a U.S. KC-135 refueler confirmed dead after crashing in western Iraq—bringing American losses to 13—ruled non-hostile by CENTCOM amid mid-air collision suspicions during refueling ops.
Lebanon's Hezbollah front sees 773 deaths from Israeli strikes, while Iran grapples with 3.2 million displaced, urban devastation, and an internet blackout quelling dissent.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
