US Airstrikes Target 50+ Sites on Iran's Kharg Island

United States forces conducted airstrikes on more than 50 military targets on Iran's Kharg Island early Tuesday, hours before President Donald Trump's deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The operation targeted sites including missile bunkers, radar stations, air defense systems and ammunition storage facilities on the island, located off Iran's southern coast in the Persian Gulf. U.S. officials described the strikes as precision operations designed to degrade Iran's military capabilities without affecting the island's oil infrastructure, which handles about 90 percent of Iran's crude exports.

The attacks marked the second major U.S. assault on Kharg Island since the conflict began on February 28. A previous strike in mid-March destroyed naval mine storage and other military assets while sparing export terminals. Officials emphasized that Tuesday's action, carried out in coordination with Israeli forces on broader Iranian targets, avoided disruptions to the island's pipelines and loading facilities, which have a capacity of around 7 million barrels per day. No casualty figures or detailed damage assessments were released, and Iranian state media reported...