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Israel said on Saturday that its military campaign against Iran had entered a “decisive phase,” as explosions and reported strikes were recorded in several locations across the Middle East.
Security sources told AFP that a drone struck Washington’s embassy in Iraq for the second time since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, sparking a conflict in the Gulf that has rocked the world economy.
Over 1,200 people have reportedly died in Iran as a result of waves of drone, missile, and aerial bombing that have displaced millions of people. As the conflict enters its third week, there is little indication that it will slow down.
Oil prices have surged by 40 percent as Iran chokes off the vital Strait of Hormuz with threats to shipping and strikes on Gulf energy facilities.
Clouds of black smoke rose Saturday over Fujairah, home to a major Emirati oil storage and export terminal, shortly after Iran’s military warned the UAE and civilians to avoid port areas.
President Donald Trump said Friday that US forces had struck Iran’s Kharg Island, its biggest oil export hub, and “obliterated every MILITARY target”, though sparing its energy facilities.
The island’s oil facilities were unaffected, according to Iranian media. Iran had warned that US-affiliated energy and oil companies would be “turned into a pile of ashes” if they were attacked.
The strike could be a “turning point” with both sides escalating in a bid to force a surrender, said analyst Vali Nasr of John Hopkins University in a social media post. “The end will likely not be Iranian backing off but inflaming the Gulf.”
Trump said the US Navy would start escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz “very soon”, but governments around the world fear a prolonged blow to their economies.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz, said the strikes on Kharg showed the war was entering a “decisive phase”, though he cautioned it would “continue as long as necessary”.
Yet, despite facing superior US and Israeli firepower, Iran appears determined to fight on.
Blasts were heard by AFP journalists over Jerusalem on Saturday after the army detected missiles fired from Iran.
Iran has launched missile and drone attacks against at least 10 of its neighbours.
The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas urged Iran to refrain from targeting Gulf neighbours, many of which have supported its cause. It was a rare breach between the allies, though Hamas affirmed Tehran’s right to defend itself.
Qatar said it intercepted two missiles over the capital’s downtown area on Saturday and evacuated key areas after blasts were heard by AFP journalists in Doha.
Strikes continue in Iran, with heavy blasts shaking Tehran late Friday and local media reporting strikes in several provinces through Saturday.
Israel’s army warned people in an industrial zone of Tabriz in northern Iran to evacuate, signalling an imminent attack.
Over 1,200 people have been killed by US and Israeli attacks, according to Iran’s health ministry, though these figures could not be independently confirmed.
The UN refugee agency estimates that up to 3.2 million people have been displaced within Iran.
Iran, according to Trump, is “totally defeated” and seeking a deal that he is unwilling to accept.
In just two weeks, the US and Israel have struck over 15,000 targets in Iran, according to the Pentagon.
According to a report this week, the United States has lost 13 military personnel and has spent $11.3 billion in the first six days alone.
