Strikes on Baghdad Embassy and UAE Energy Hub Signal Wider Escalation; Oil Surges 40%.
A “decisive phase,” embassy strikes, oil up 40% — and no sign of slowdown. The Iran war is widening fast.
Israel declared Saturday that its war against Iran has entered a “decisive phase,” even as explosions rippled across the Middle East — from Baghdad to the UAE — and oil markets convulsed under mounting disruption.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said strikes on Kharg Island — Iran’s principal oil export hub — marked a turning point. The war, he added, would continue “as long as necessary.”
The escalation was visible across the region. A drone struck the United States Embassy Baghdad, security sources told AFP, the second such attack since hostilities began on Feb. 28.
In the United Arab Emirates, black smoke rose over Fujairah, home to a major oil storage and export facility, after Iranian warnings urging civilians to avoid port areas.
President Donald Trump said U.S. forces had “obliterated” military targets on Kharg Island but spared energy facilities. Tehran confirmed oil infrastructure remained intact and reiterated that any attack on its energy sector would trigger retaliation against U.S.-linked oil assets.
The conflict, now in its third week, has displaced millions and killed more than 1,200 people in Iran, according to Iranian officials. Israel says more than 15,000 targets have been struck.
Oil prices have surged roughly 40% amid Iranian threats to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a channel carrying about one-fifth of global petroleum supplies.
Missile and drone fire continued. Sirens sounded over Jerusalem after new launches from Iran. Qatar said it intercepted missiles over Doha and evacuated parts of the capital.
In Lebanon, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem described the confrontation as an “existential battle,” as Israeli strikes and cross-border exchanges intensified.
Iran’s leadership transition adds uncertainty. Following the killing of Ali Khamenei, his son Mojtaba Khamenei was named supreme leader but has remained out of public view amid reports of injury. The Revolutionary Guards have threatened a crackdown on dissent, while exiled opposition figures call for a political transition.
Washington is reinforcing its posture. The Pentagon said early operations cost $11.3 billion in six days and acknowledged U.S. personnel losses. U.S. media report additional naval deployments, including the USS Tripoli with thousands of Marines, as the Navy prepares to escort tankers through Hormuz.
Analysts warn that a “decisive phase” may mean broader escalation rather than resolution — widening strikes, deeper regional entanglement, and rising economic costs. For now, both sides signal resolve. The question is whether decisive action leads to a settlement — or to a more combustible next stage.
