The military released the first images of the massive overnight strike that “obliterated” a vital stronghold to Iran’s oil network.
Last night, U.S. forces executed a large-scale precision strike on Kharg Island, Iran. The strike destroyed naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites. U.S. forces successfully struck more than 90 Iranian military targets on Kharg… pic.twitter.com/2X1glD4Flt
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 14, 2026
US missiles landed on dozens of military targets on Kharg Island, igniting massive explosions that wiped out Iran’s own missile stash, footage shared by the US Central Command shows.
The bombs were dropped in quick succession along the compound in what the agency called a “large-scale precision strike.”
“Last night, U.S. forces executed a large-scale precision strike on Kharg Island, Iran. The strike destroyed naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites,” the USCC said.
“U.S. forces successfully struck more than 90 Iranian military targets on Kharg Island, while preserving the oil infrastructure.”
President Trump announced the strike Friday night, which he called the “most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East.”
Trump celebrated the attack, saying US forces “obliterated every military target,” but refrained from wiping out oil infrastructure on the island “for reasons of decency.”
Kharg Island is home to the primary terminal that handles the country’s oil exports.
The bombing comes as officials say 2,500 more Marines and an amphibious assault ship are being sent to the Middle East nearly two weeks into the war with the Islamic Republic.
Marine Expeditionary Units are able to conduct amphibious landings, but they also specialize in bolstering security at embassies, evacuating civilians and disaster relief. The deployment does not necessarily indicate that a ground operation is imminent or will take place.
While the total number of U.S. service members on the ground in the Middle East is not clear, Al-Udeid Air Base alone, one of the largest in the region, typically houses some 8,000 U.S. troops in Qatar.
