CENTCOM: B-2 Stealth Bombers Strike 90 Military Targets on Iran's Kharg Island; Tehran Retaliates Against UAE Oil Hub

MIDDLE EAST / PERSIAN GULF — U.S. Central Command executed a large-scale precision strike against more than 90 Iranian military targets on Kharg Island overnight on March 13 to 14, destroying naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple additional military sites. CENTCOM confirmed that oil infrastructure on the island was preserved.

Kharg Island processes approximately 90% of Iran's crude oil exports. President Trump characterized the operation as "one of the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East" and warned he would "immediately reconsider" restraint on the oil infrastructure if Iran interferes with Strait of Hormuz shipping.

Iran Strikes Fujairah

Within hours, Iran launched retaliatory attacks against the United Arab Emirates. The IRGC declared that U.S. interests in the UAE, including "ports, docks, and military locations," are legitimate targets.

A drone was intercepted over the Fujairah emirate. Falling debris caused a fire at oil storage facilities, severely damaging two storage tanks. Oil-loading operations were suspended.

UAE air defenses intercepted nine ballistic missiles and 33 drones from Iran on March 14. Six people were killed and 141 injured, according to UAE authorities.

Energy Impact

Brent crude traded at $103.14 per barrel on March 14, up more than 40% since the war began on February 28. Fujairah sits outside the Strait of Hormuz and serves as a primary bypass route for oil exports. Iran's targeting of it indicates a strategy to close alternatives, not just the strait itself.

The U.S. demonstrated it can reach Iran's most economically sensitive infrastructure while choosing restraint on the oil facilities. Iran's response, striking the bypass route within hours, signals the energy disruption is expanding beyond a single chokepoint. The remaining export alternatives, Red Sea via Yanbu or Cape of Good Hope, add weeks of transit time and significantly higher costs.

Official Statements

• U.S. Central Command, March 14: "U.S. forces executed a large-scale precision strike on Kharg Island," destroying "naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites" while "preserving the oil infrastructure."
• President Trump, March 14: Warned he would "immediately reconsider" restraint on oil infrastructure if Hormuz shipping is disrupted.
• IRGC, March 14: Declared U.S. interests in the UAE, including "ports, docks, and military locations," are legitimate targets.