President Donald Trump elevated the language around Iran’s attacks on Strait of Hormuz shipping on Friday, characterizing the effective blockade of the world’s most critical oil waterway as an act of economic terrorism. He called Iranian leaders “deranged scumbags” and promised devastating consequences, announcing late in the day that US forces had already obliterated every military installation on Kharg Island, Iran’s primary oil export hub. He warned that the island’s oil facilities themselves would be the next target if the blockade continued, a threat that sent shockwaves through global energy markets.
Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies pass through the Strait of Hormuz, making Iran’s effective closure of the waterway through attacks on shipping one of the most consequential economic acts of the conflict. US officials said they were “dealing with” Iran’s strikes in the strait and insisted the waterway had not yet been mined. European nations, reportedly including France, opened quiet diplomatic negotiations with Tehran aimed at securing guaranteed safe passage for their commercial vessels, though Italy denied being part of the talks. The divergence of European and American approaches to the crisis was apparent.
The broader military campaign continued at extraordinary scale. Combined US and Israeli forces have struck more than 15,000 targets since the war began. Israel alone reported over 200 individual strikes in the most recent 24-hour period. Trump’s Kharg Island announcement described US Central Command executing one of the most powerful raids in the history of the Middle East, completely destroying every military facility on Iran’s most economically vital island. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth described Iran’s leadership as desperate, hidden underground, and led by a wounded supreme leader.
The conflict’s impact across the region continued to mount. Lebanon has recorded over 600 deaths and 800,000 displaced, with eight more killed in Sidon Friday. Hezbollah injured about 60 Israelis in rocket salvoes. Saudi Arabia intercepted close to 50 Iranian drones. Qatar ordered Doha evacuations before a missile interception. Two died in Oman. Dubai’s financial district sustained building damage. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched new coordinated strikes on Israel with Hezbollah. Iran has reported over 1,300 deaths. Israel reports 12.
Tehran’s civilian population continued to endure near-constant bombardment. A retired professor described buildings shaking, rubble in streets, sick relatives unable to leave, and fuel too scarce for escape. A shopkeeper counted six explosions in one hour and described taping newspapers over her windows as protection. The United States has lost 13 service members, including six in a tanker aircraft crash in Iraq. France lost one soldier to a militia drone in Iraq. Stock markets, which had fallen sharply the previous day, staged a modest recovery Friday as oil prices dipped slightly, though the underlying instability of the war kept investors deeply anxious.