The US–Israel military campaign against Iran entered its 15th day on March 14, with neither side showing signs of de-escalation and both widening the range of targets. Washington announced a large-scale strike on Kharg Island — Iran’s principal oil-export terminal — while Tehran responded with its 51st wave of operations and fresh threats against regional and financial targets.
U.S. Central Command said air strikes on the night of March 13 hit more than 90 military targets on Kharg Island, destroying naval mine storage and missile shelters while sparing oil-export infrastructure. Iranian authorities said their defenses survived the assault, that the island’s systems were quickly restored and that the attackers failed to achieve strategic objectives.
Tehran set out two non-negotiable conditions for ending the conflict: compensation for all Iranian losses and the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the Persian Gulf. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) framed those demands as prerequisites for considering a halt to operations, underscoring how far Iran has moved from confined, tactical retaliation to systematic bargaining over strategic outcomes.
Iran also announced it had launched missiles at Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base in what it described as the 51st round of “Real Promise 4” operations, targeting a logistics hub for U.S. F-35 and F-16 operations. The IRGC further said it struck branches of U.S.-linked banks in the region in retaliation for attacks on Iranian banks and warned that any similar actions would make all U.S. bank branches legitimate targets.
The conflict has spilled beyond direct strikes. U.S. facilities in Iraq came under drone and rocket attack, damaging satellite communications and a helicopter pad at the American embassy, while Israel reported continuing high-tempo air operations against Iranian and Lebanese targets. Israeli officials described the campaign as entering a "decisive phase," even as Hezbollah warned it is prepared for a sustained confrontation with Israel.
The maritime chokepoint at the Strait of Hormuz remains a flashpoint. Iran says it will continue to monitor and, if necessary, interdict vessels linked to states attacking Tehran, while also insisting the strait is open to neutral shipping. A small number of commercial vessels — including a Turkish ship and two Indian-flagged LPG carriers — have traversed the strait with Tehran’s approval, but many shippers are avoiding the route out of security concerns.
Global diplomacy is straining to keep the crisis from spiraling. Gulf Arab states and Germany urged restraint and pressed for diplomatic solutions, while Washington signaled plans to escort regional shipping and threatened additional strikes on Iran’s coastline. With reported U.S. casualties and divergent public messaging inside the American defence establishment, the political and military costs of an extended campaign are mounting for all parties involved.