Iran Threatens to Retaliate Against Region for Kharg Island Attack

Iran threatened on Saturday to escalate the war raging in the Middle East by targeting any facility in the region with U.S. ties after Washington bombed its main energy hub. As the conflict entered its third week, Iran projected defiance after U.S. forces hit military sites at Karg Island, which handles 90% of Iranian oil exports. U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said the U.S. had, quote, totally obliterated military targets on the island, though Iran played down the extent of the damage. A drone attack on Saturday disrupted a United Arab Emirates energy hub. The outlet for about 1 million barrels per day of the UAE's Merban crude oil, a volume equal to about 1% of world demand. An Iranian military spokesperson called on people in the UAE to evacuate the ports, docks, and, quote, American hideouts, saying U.S. forces had targeted Iranian islands from those areas. The UAE said it rejected the accusation. The U.S. embassy in Baghdad set in an updated security alert following an overnight missile attack on the embassy's building that U.S. citizens should leave Iraq immediately. The war, which started on February 28th, has killed more than 2,000 people, mostly in Iran, and created the biggest oil supply disruption in history. Iran's foreign minister said there would be a response to any attack on its energy facilities and warned it would target U.S. companies in the region or companies in which the U.S. had shares. Trump on Saturday called on nations to send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for shipping. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on whether any countries had agreed to send ships. Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has said the strategic waterway should remain closed.