Iran War Day 15 Live News: US pivots from usual army campaign in Kharg Island strike, Tehran warns America-linked oil cos, death tolls mount

The war involving the United States, Israel and Iran entered its fifteenth day on Saturday with a severe escalation across several fronts. Washington, pivoting from its earlier targets, struck Iran’s most critical oil export hub and Tehran expanded its retaliatory missile campaign across the region.

From Beirut to Baghdad and the Strait of Hormuz, the conflict seems to be steadily widening beyond the original battlefield, drawing in Gulf states and threatening the energy infrastructure that supports global oil markets.

American forces hit military installations on Kharg Island, the backbone of Iran’s oil export network in the Persian Gulf, while Iran warned it could retaliate by targeting energy facilities linked to US oil companies operating in the region.


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At the same time, explosions were reported in Tehran and Doha, and missile interceptions lit up the skies over the Qatari capital as Iran pressed its aerial campaign against Israel and several Gulf states.

The intensifying hostilities have already produced heavy casualties across West Asia, with thousands killed and millions displaced since the war began over two weeks ago.

US strikes Iran’s oil lifeline

The White House confirmed that US forces targeted military sites on Kharg Island early Saturday, marking one of the most consequential strikes of the conflict so far.

The island handles the vast majority of Iran’s crude oil exports and is considered the "crown jewel" of the country’s energy infrastructure. By hitting military facilities there, Washington signaled that the campaign may increasingly target the economic foundations of the Iranian state.

The attack represents a shift in the US military campaign known as 'Operation Epic Fury,' which has largely focused on degrading Iran’s missile capabilities and military infrastructure during the first two weeks of the war.

Also Read | Trump says US struck military targets on Iran's main oil hub, Kharg Island, calls it country's 'crown jewel'

President Donald Trump defended the move, saying the strikes were designed to weaken Tehran’s ability to continue fighting.

In a Truth Social post, the now two-time US President said the army had “totally obliterated every MILITARY target” on the island but deliberately avoided hitting oil export facilities.

“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,” Trump added in his post.

Iran warns of strikes on US-linked energy sites

Iran promptly responded to the Kharg Island attack with a stark warning.

Iran’s Armed Forces’ unified combatant command said any further attacks on the country’s oil or energy infrastructure would lead to retaliatory strikes on facilities owned by oil companies cooperating with the United States in the region, Reuters reported citing the Iranian media.

The statement raised the possibility that oil installations across the Gulf, many of which host Western companies, could become targets if the war continues to escalate.

Also Read | Iran warns of strikes on regional US-linked oil firms after American attack on crucial oil export hub

Meanwhile, Washington has already begun reinforcing its military presence.

A US official said the Pentagon has ordered an amphibious assault ship and about 2,500 additional Marines to deploy to West Asia, a major reinforcement as the war enters its third week and shows little signs of slowing down.

Explosion shakes Tehran rally

Inside Iran, tensions spilled into the capital yet again.

A large explosion rocked a central square in Tehran where thousands had gathered for an annual state-organised rally expressing support for Palestinians and calling for Israel’s destruction.

Israel had earlier warned it could strike the area. Despite the blast, there were no immediate reports of casualties.

Israel, overall, has continued to carry out extensive strikes across Iran.

The Israeli military said its air force struck more than 200 targets in western and central Iran over the past day, including ballistic missile launchers, air-defence systems and weapons production facilities.

Missiles intercepted over Qatar

The conflict also spread deeper into the Gulf early Saturday.

Explosions were heard in Doha, according to AFP journalists, after Qatar’s interior ministry said authorities were evacuating several key areas in the capital.

Air defence interceptors were seen over downtown Doha shooting down two projectiles, witnesses said.

Qatar’s defence ministry later confirmed that its military had intercepted a missile attack targeting the country.

On the other hand, Iran has also launched drones that were reported flying into the airspace of Kuwait, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman as the conflict continues to widen.

Heavy casualties across the region

The war has produced a rapidly rising death toll across multiple countries.

Within the last two weeks, in Iran, government figures say more than 1,200 people have been killed, including around 200 women and 200 children, with more than 10,000 injured. Human rights monitors estimate the real toll may be significantly higher, placing it at around 1,825 deaths, most of them civilians.

In Israel, 14 people have been killed so far, including 12 civilians killed by Iranian missile fire, among them four minors. Two Israeli soldiers were also killed during combat operations in southern Lebanon.

Lebanon has seen some of the heaviest losses outside Iran. At least 773 people have been killed since early March in the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, including 103 children.

Across the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula, at least 26 people have died, including civilians and security personnel.

Kuwait reported six deaths, including two soldiers and two civilians, among them an 11-year-old girl; while the United Arab Emirates reported six deaths, including military personnel killed in a helicopter crash.

In addition, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman have also reported casualties from the expanding conflict.

The war has also spilled into neighbouring states.

In Iraq, at least 46 people have been killed, including Iran-backed militia fighters, security personnel and civilians.

The Pentagon also confirmed that six US crew members died when a refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq in what officials described as a non-hostile incident.

A French soldier stationed in the Kurdistan region was also killed by an Iranian drone.

Elsewhere, Jordan reported 14 injuries caused by falling debris from intercepted missiles and drones, while Syria reported eight people injured in similar incidents during aerial exchanges between Iranian and Israeli forces.

(With agency inputs)