Iran significantly widened the scope of its military retaliation on Saturday, firing ballistic missiles at the UAE while threatening to attack any Gulf facility linked to American companies or interests. The strikes forced the suspension of oil-loading operations at Fujairah, a vital global shipping hub, and raised fears of a rapid expansion of the conflict across the entire Gulf region. Iranian military officials called on UAE residents near ports and US installations to evacuate immediately.
The United States pressed forward with its air campaign, with Kharg Island bearing the brunt of the assault. The island — Iran’s most important crude oil export terminal — was struck on Friday and again subjected to attack waves on Saturday. President Trump said in public remarks that the facility had been effectively destroyed but hinted additional strikes remained possible. US warplanes also conducted further bombing runs across Iran throughout the day.
Israeli warplanes joined the offensive, launching dozens of raids aimed at degrading Iran’s missile-launch infrastructure and weakening its security forces. At least 15 people died when one Israeli strike hit a factory in Isfahan that manufactured refrigerators and heaters. Iran continued to fire rockets and missiles toward Israel simultaneously, keeping multiple fronts active and straining the defensive resources of all parties involved.
Trump took to Truth Social to assert that many nations would send warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has shut since the fighting began on February 28. He called out China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK by name, urging them to protect their economic interests in the waterway. Analysts observed that this was the first time Trump had publicly conceded the US might need international support to reopen the strait — a significant shift from earlier confident posturing.
The crisis was deepening across the broader region. The US embassy in Baghdad urged all American citizens to leave Iraq after the embassy was struck by missiles overnight. Lebanon’s humanitarian situation worsened, with more than 800 dead and 850,000 displaced from ongoing Israeli strikes on Hezbollah. Oil prices hovered around $120 a barrel, with experts warning they could jump to $150 if Kharg Island’s infrastructure was fully destroyed. Trump offered no timeline for ending the conflict, telling reporters the campaign would last as long as circumstances demanded.