Iranian forces have threatened to attack US allies after Donald Trump <\/a>said the US hit Iran\u2019s crucial Kharg Island<\/a> in \u201cone of the most powerful bombing raids <\/a>in the History of the Middle East\u201d.<\/p>\n The US president said the military has \u201ctotally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran\u2019s crown jewel, Kharg Island\u201d in a post on Truth Social. <\/p>\n On Saturday, the Iranian military warned that any attack on Iran’s oil and energy infrastructure would lead to attacks on energy infrastructure owned by oil companies in the region cooperating with the US, Iranian media reported.<\/p>\n The island is the linchpin of Iran\u2019s oil industry<\/a>, a dominant export port which is connected by pipeline to the major oil fields in southwest Iran. <\/p>\n Trump said he chose not to wipe out the island\u2019s oil infrastructure \u201cfor reasons of decency\u201d – but warned Tehran that he may do so if it does not allow free passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz. <\/p>\n It comes as the US deploys thousands of troops and more warships to the Middle East <\/a>as Iran steps up on the Strait of Hormuz<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Pentagon is sending a Marine expeditionary unit to defend against Iran, US officials told the Wall Street Journal<\/a>. <\/p>\n Around 2,500 troops and one extra warship will be sent, the Associated Press<\/a> reported. <\/p>\n The WSJ<\/a> also reported five US Air Force refueling planes were struck in Saudi Arabia by an Iranian missile in recent days. <\/p>\n <\/a>UAE suspends some oil operations at Fujairah after drone strikes<\/p>\n The United Arab Emirates has suspended some of its oil loading operations at the port of Fujairah after Iranian drone strikes, according to Bloomberg News.<\/p>\n A fire is reported to have broken out on Saturday morning at the port, which is located near the Strait of Hormuz, people familiar with the matter told the publication. <\/p>\n Maira Butt14 March 2026 09:00<\/p>\n <\/a>Fruit and vegetable producers say Iran war could cause empty supermarket shelves<\/p>\n Rising energy costs and transportation costs could leave supermarket shelves empty, Lea Valley Growers Association (LVGA) has warned. <\/p>\n The company\u2019s secretary Lee Stiles warned that the industry requires immediate support if crisis is to be averted. <\/p>\n He said: \u201cGrowers are in the same position now as they were when Russia invaded Ukraine, because the wholesale gas prices are creeping up.<\/p>\n \u201cWith rising costs, many growers are thinking they might as well send the staff home, stop for the season and not produce anything.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re going to have to make a decision in the next few weeks as to whether or not it\u2019s going to be economic to continue for the rest of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n Maira Butt14 March 2026 08:45<\/p>\n <\/a>Qatar evacuates parts of Doha with government offices and US university branch campuses, witnesses say<\/p>\n Qatari authorities evacuated parts of Doha\u2019s Msheireb district, which includes government offices and a Google office, early on Saturday, witnesses said.<\/p>\n Witnesses also said authorities evacuated parts of Doha\u2019s Education City, which is home to branch campuses of six US universities.<\/p>\n The evacuation orders came after Qatar\u2019s interior ministry said authorities were clearing a \u201cnumber of specified areas as a temporary precautionary measure,\u201d without providing details.<\/p>\n The move came about an hour before authorities reported missile interceptions in Qatar. <\/p>\n Shweta Sharma14 March 2026 08:30<\/p>\n <\/a>Watch: Trump releases video showing apparent strike on Kharg Island<\/p>\n President Donald Trump has released footage showing an apparent strike on Iran\u2019s crucial Kharg Island. <\/p>\n Trump releases video showing apparent strike on Kharg Island<\/p>\n Maira Butt14 March 2026 08:15<\/p>\n <\/a>Iran says US ‘begging the world’ to buy oil after bullying tactics<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi criticised the US over what he described as a shift in Washington\u2019s stance on Russian oil amid its ongoing war with Iran.<\/p>\n In a post on social media platform X, Araghchi said the Donald Trump administration was now urging countries, including India, to buy Russian crude despite previously pressuring them to stop such imports.<\/p>\n \u201cThe US spent months bullying India into ending oil imports from Russia. After two weeks of war with Iran, the White House is now begging the world \u2013 including India \u2013 to buy Russian crude,\u201d Araghchi wrote.<\/p>\n “Europe thought backing illegal war on Iran would win US support against Russia. Pathetic,” he said. <\/p>\n Shweta Sharma14 March 2026 08:05<\/p>\n <\/a>Pete Hegseth claims Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is \u2018wounded and likely disfigured\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cThe U.S. is decimating the radical Iranian regime\u2019s military in a way the world has never seen before,\u201d the defense secretary <\/a>boasted at a Friday morning press briefing. \u201cWe said it would not be a fair fight, and it has not been.\u201d<\/p>\n To date, more than 15,000 Iranian targets<\/a> have been hit, obliterating the nation’s air defenses, air force, and navy, while its missile capabilities have plummeted by 90 percent, Hegseth said. He then warned Friday will be the most intense day of U.S. strikes on Iran to date.<\/p>\n Shweta Sharma14 March 2026 07:50<\/p>\n <\/a>Where is Kharg Island? Tiny oil hub in Persian Gulf that could be Trump’s secret weapon against Iran<\/p>\n Despite its small size, the island holds around 94 per cent of the country\u2019s crude oil<\/a> for export, mostly bound for China, and its main oil export terminal<\/a>.<\/p>\n US administration officials said that discussions on seizing<\/a> the key island have taken place, according to Axios. The land, which is smaller than the city of Westminster in London, could choke off Iran\u2019s economy and leave a devastating impact for years to come.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Maira Butt14 March 2026 07:35<\/p>\n <\/a>Will Trump’s attack on Kharg Island cause further mayhem for the global oil economy?<\/p>\n Neil Quilliam, an energy policy and foreign affairs analyst at Chatham House, previously told The Independent that while it is \u201cunlikely\u201d President Donald Trump would completely take over the territory, any attempt would \u201clikely send the markets into a tailspin\u201d. <\/p>\n It could also block any future resolution between the countries, leading to an endless standoff.<\/p>\n \u201cThe US would effectively control Iran\u2019s major export terminal but the Iranian leadership would remain in control of the country\u2019s production so there would be a standoff,\u201d he said. It could also be a \u201cmajor cause for concern\u201d for Gulf countries, setting a dangerous precedent.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is Iran\u2019s Achilles heel in this war but fighting for and occupying Kharg could cause irreparable damage to the terminal and hurt any successor regime\u2019s chances of managing the economy,\u201d he continued. \u201cPrevious presidents have steered away from Kharg understanding its strategic important to global oil markets.\u201d<\/p>\n Maira Butt14 March 2026 07:18<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cheapest-supermarket-(1).png\")
(Getty\/iStock)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Iran_Islands_Explainer_79727.jpg\")
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