This image, taken a place in northern Israel, reveals an Israeli Air Power fighter jet flying over the border space with southern Lebanon on March 13, 2026.
Jalaa Marey/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
disguise caption
toggle caption
Jalaa Marey/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
President Trump mentioned on Friday the U.S. navy had “totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island.”
In a Reality Social put up Friday night, Trump added that “for reasons of decency, I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the island.” The president warned that if Iran “or anyone else” intrude with the passage of ships within the Strait of Hormuz, “I will immediately reconsider this decision.”
Kharg Island sits 15 miles off Iran’s coast and is vital to Iran’s oil infrastructure and the nation’s economic system. Roughly 90 % of Iran’s export crude oil passes by means of the island.
On his option to Mar-a-Lago in Florida shortly earlier than his put up, Trump informed reporters, “The situation in Iran is going very well. A lot of big hits today, a lot of big wins today.” Requested how lengthy he thinks the struggle would final, he mentioned, “I can’t tell you that. I mean, I have my own idea, but what good does it do? It will be as long as it’s necessary. They’ve been decimated. The country — their country’s in bad shape. The whole thing is collapsing.”
Earlier on Friday, the U.S. navy had mentioned that every one six crew members have been killed when a KC-135 refueling plane went down in Iraq, elevating the American dying toll after two weeks of struggle with Iran.
The information got here as President Trump and his protection secretary touted the success of what they name Operation Epic Fury however complained about unfavorable media protection of the U.S.-Israeli struggle with Iran.
Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth mentioned Friday that joint U.S.-Israeli navy strikes have hit greater than 15,000 targets and injured the brand new Iranian supreme chief.
President Trump, in a put up on Reality Social, mentioned the U.S. is “totally destroying” Iran’s regime, militarily and economically.
A girl seems at a constructing the place an residence was focused by an Israeli airstrike within the Burj Hammoud space on the northern outskirts of Beirut on March 14, 2026.
Ibrahim Amro/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
disguise caption
toggle caption
Ibrahim Amro/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
Iranian and Lebanese well being officers and Israeli authorities reported greater than 1,300 folks killed in Iran, 773 folks in Lebanon and 12 civilians in Israel, in addition to two Israeli troopers killed in Lebanon. Wednesday’s plane crash over Iraq brings the U.S. navy dying toll to 13, seven of whom have been killed by enemy hearth. Eight U.S. service members are severely injured, based on the Pentagon.
The humanitarian toll additionally deepened as the overall variety of folks displaced by the preventing in Iran and Lebanon reached into the hundreds of thousands.
Listed below are additional updates concerning the battle.
To leap to a selected protection subject, click on on the hyperlinks beneath:
U.S. casualties | Extra struggle forward
U.S. casualties rise and extra Marines head to Mideast
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) mentioned Friday all six crew members died when their refueling plane went down over Iraq.
CENTCOM, which oversees the navy’s Center East operations, initially reported an unspecified incident involving two plane Thursday. It mentioned the U.S. KC-135 refueling plane was misplaced in western Iraq, whereas the opposite landed safely. It’s investigating the circumstances however confirmed the “loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.”
That brings the U.S. navy dying toll to 13, seven of whom have been killed by enemy hearth, based on the Pentagon.
NPR has additionally confirmed that an extra 2,200 U.S. Marines are heading to the Center East.
The thirty first Marine Expeditionary Unit based mostly in Okinawa, Japan, aboard the united statesTripoli, an amphibious assault ship, will be part of an armada of ships collaborating within the Iran struggle, a supply informed NPR on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t licensed to talk publicly. The supply didn’t specify what position the Marines will play.
The deployment was first reported by The Wall Road Journal.
— NPR’s Nationwide Safety Desk
Officers brace for an finish with no deal — and the chance of a “war routine”
A senior official within the area, talking on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t licensed to debate inside deliberations, informed NPR they anticipated the struggle to final at the very least one other week, and that Israeli leaders more and more consider the U.S. and Israel will finish the struggle unilaterally, with no negotiated settlement. In such a situation, the official mentioned, Iran and allied teams, together with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Houthi rebels in Yemen, might set up a brand new regular of intermittent hearth at Israel, prompting repeated Israeli retaliation.
The official mentioned that type of tit-for-tat change would go away Israelis residing with an insupportable “war routine” even when the depth of the battle fades.
The official additionally mentioned Israel shouldn’t be ruling out an expanded floor operation in southern Lebanon, however described Israel as holding again so removed from hanging broad civilian infrastructure, largely as a result of the U.S. sees Lebanon as a associate.
— Daniel Estrin, Carrie Kahn
Arezou Rezvani contributed to this report from Erbil in Iraq’s Kurdish area.
