President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israel strikes attack targeting military and government sites, officials said.
Iranian state television confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed in Tehran on the first day of strikes. His son Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen on Sunday to succeed him.
Iran is responding to the operation with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and multiple Gulf nations. Israel is also intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
Iran warns it will retaliate against US regional interests if energy facilities are attacked
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the country will respond to any attack on its energy facilities, warning that Iranian forces could target American-linked energy infrastructure in the region.
Smoke rises from the direction of an energy installation in the Gulf emirate of Fujairah on March 14, 2026. Smoke could be seen rising from the direction of a major UAE energy installation on March 14, in what appeared to be the latest strike targeting the Gulf's petroleum facilities hours after the US struck Iran's Kharg Island.
AFP via Getty Images
"If Iran’s facilities are targeted, our forces will strike facilities belonging to American companies in the region or companies in which the United States holds shares," Araghchi said on Saturday, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
He added that Iran would "certainly respond" to such attacks but would act cautiously to avoid targeting densely populated areas.
President Donald Trump said Friday that U.S. Central Command carried out a strike on Iran’s Kharg Island. Refineries on the island process about 90% of Iran’s oil exports.
Mar 14, 2026, 11:41 AM EDT
US says strikes on Kharg Island destroyed Iranian military sites
The U.S. "executed a large-scale precision strike" on Kharg Island, Iran, destroying "naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites," U.S. Central Command said in a post on X.
"U.S. forces successfully struck more than 90 Iranian military targets on Kharg Island, while preserving the oil infrastructure," CENTCOM said.
Mar 14, 2026, 11:25 AM EDT
Trump calls on other countries to send assistance for Strait of Hormuz, says US will be bombing shoreline
As the Trump administration continues to face an escalating crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, which facilitates the transport of about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply, President Donald Trump is turning to other countries for assistance.
In a social media post on Saturday, Trump claimed that “many countries” will be “sending War Ships” to assist with keeping the Strait of Hormuz “open and safe.” He later called out specific countries and said they will “hopefully” send ships to the critical waterway.
“Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe,” the president said. He later wrote, “hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area.”
Royal Oman Police Coast Guard patrol boat surveys the area as the traffic is down in the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 12, 2026.
Benoit Tessier/Reuters
The president added that “in the meantime,” the U.S. will be “bombing the hell out of the shoreline,” as well as shooting Iranian ships “out of the water.”
Trump continued to insist that Iran’s military capabilities are “destroyed 100%,” but said they still pose a threat “no matter how badly defeated they are.”
“We have already destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military capability, but it’s easy for them to send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close range missile somewhere along, or in, this Waterway, no matter how badly defeated they are,” he wrote.
“One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE!” the president promised.
ABC News has reached out to the White House for clarification on whether countries have formally agreed to send ships.
-ABC News' Emily Chang
Mar 14, 2026, 8:57 AM EDT
Israel congratulates US on Kharg Island strikes
Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz congratulated President Donald Trump "on the severe blow that the US military dealt last night" to Kharg Island.
Katz said that Israel is "continuing a powerful wave of attacks on Tehran and throughout Iran."
In this screen grab from a video released by U.S. Central Command, strikes are shown on Kharg Island.
U.S. Central Command
Trump posted a video of the U.S. strikes on Kharg Island, showing projectiles striking the airport and other sites on the island.
The deputy governor of Iran's Bushehr Province, where Kharg Island is located, told Iranian state media that "activities of oil companies at this export terminal are normal," and that export activities are ongoing, after the strike on the island's airport by the US military.
