Middle East crisis live: Iran warns of retaliation after Trump says military targets on Kharg Island ‘obliterated’
Key events
Israeli military tells Iranians to ‘immediately evacuate’ an industrial area of Tabriz
The Israeli military has issued an evacuation warning for a designated industrial area in Tabriz, in northwestern Iran, saying it will “conduct operations in this area in the coming hours”. The warning, issued on social media, tells citizens to “immediately evacuate”.
Here is the Guardian’s latest report on the crisis across the Middle East
Missile strikes helipad inside the US Embassy compound in Baghdad
A missile has struck a helipad inside the US Embassy compound in Baghdad, two Iraqi security officials told Associated Press.
The US Embassy in Baghdad has not yet commented on the reports. On Friday, the embassy renewed its Level 4 security alert for Iraq, warning that Iran and Iran-aligned militia groups have previously carried out attacks against US citizens, interests and infrastructure, and “may continue to target them.”
The embassy complex, which is one of the largest US diplomatic facilities in the world, has been repeatedly targeted by rockets and drones fired by Iran-aligned militias.
Opening summary
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the ongoing conflict in Iran and across the Middle East.
Iran’s armed forces threatened on Saturday to destroy US-linked oil infrastructure after president Donald Trump said the US had bombed Iran’s oil hub of Kharg Island.
The military said in a statement cited by Iranian media that oil and energy infrastructure belonging to firms that cooperated with the US would “immediately be destroyed and turned into a pile of ashes” if Iran’s energy facilities were attacked.
The announcement was in “response to statements” made by the Trump, who earlier said on social media that strikes had “obliterated” military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island.
If you are just tuning in, here is a quick recap of the latest:
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Trump said he had chosen not to wipe out the oil infrastructure on Kharg Island, which serves as the export terminal for 90% of Iran’s oil shipments. But he added: “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.”
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Explosions rocked Iraq’s capital Baghdad on Saturday after two strikes targeted the powerful Iran-backed group Kataeb Hezbollah, killing two members including a “key figure”, security sources told AFP.
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At least 12 medical personnel were killed in an Israeli strike on a healthcare center in the town of Borj Qalaouiya in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese state news agency reported, citing the health ministry.
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Israeli strikes have killed more than 100 children in Lebanon, according to the latest data from the Lebanese health ministry. A total of 773 people have been killed since Israel’s first strikes on the country on 2 March, with a further 1,933 people wounded, the ministry said in its daily report. It said 103 children had now been killed in the strikes, and a further 326 children have been wounded.
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Qatar’s interior ministry said it was evacuating a number of “key areas” as Iran presses its retaliatory air campaign against Gulf countries. In Doha’s central Musheireb district some residents received phone alerts telling them to “evacuate the area immediately… to the nearest safest place as a temporary precaution”.
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The US energy department said it expects initial deliveries of oil from its strategic petroleum reserve will begin moving to the market by the end of next week. Members of the 32-nation International Energy Agency, announced earlier this week they would unlock 400m barrels of oil in an effort to bring down prices.
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The Pentagon is moving additional Marines and warships to the Middle East, the Wall Street Journal and other outlets reported. US defence secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly approved a request from US Central Command for an element of an amphibious ready group and attached Marine expeditionary unit (MEU). There are differing reports about the size of the contingent to be deployed, but the group typically consists of several warships and 5,000 Marines and sailors.
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The UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, called for humanitarian aid to be allowed to pass safely through the strait of Hormuz as the US-Israeli war on Iran continues to disrupt one of the world’s most vital shipping routes. In a statement, Tom Fletcher said this will make it harder and more expensive to deliver critical supplies, including food and medicine. Only 77 ships have so far crossed through the critical waterway this month.
