This picture, taken a position in northern Israel, shows an Israeli Air Force fighter jet flying over the border area with southern Lebanon on March 13, 2026.
Jalaa Marey/AFP via Getty Images
hide caption
toggle caption
Jalaa Marey/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump stated on Friday that the U.S. military had “totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island.”
In a Truth Social post on Friday evening, 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” interfere with the passage of ships in the Strait of Hormuz, “I will immediately reconsider this decision.”
Kharg Island sits 15 miles off Iran’s coast and is critical to Iran’s oil infrastructure and the country’s economy. Roughly 90 percent of Iran’s export crude oil passes through the island.
On his way to Mar-a-Lago in Florida shortly before his post, Trump told reporters, “The situation in Iran is going very well. A lot of big hits today, a lot of big wins today.” Asked how long he thinks the war would last, he said, “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. military had said that all six crew members were killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in Iraq, raising the American death toll after two weeks of war with Iran.
The news came as President Trump and his defense secretary touted the success of what they call Operation Epic Fury but complained about negative media coverage of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday that joint U.S.-Israeli military strikes have hit more than 15,000 targets and injured the new Iranian supreme leader.
President Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said the U.S. is “totally destroying” Iran’s regime, militarily and economically.
