US embassy in Baghdad targeted as Iran launches attacks during Operation Epic Fury

Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi said Saturday he is ready to lead Iran’s transition "as soon as the Islamic Republic falls."

As the war in Iran entered its third week, Pahlavi — the son of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi — said he has been working in recent months to develop a transition plan should the Iranian regime collapse to ensure the country does not experience a disruption in governance.

Pahlavi said in a social media post that "capable individuals" have been identified both inside and outside Iran to lead what he called a "transitional system."

"The transitional system, under my leadership, will be ready to assume governance of the country as soon as the Islamic Republic falls and, in the shortest possible time, establish order, security, freedom and the conditions for Iran’s prosperity and flourishing," he said.

Pahlavi has lived in exile since the 1979 Islamic Revolution toppled Iran’s monarchy and established the Islamic Republic.

He has in recent years sought to position himself as a unifying opposition figure and has said he would help guide a transition of power from theocracy to democracy in Iran.

This is an excerpt of an article by Michael Sinkewicz.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said early Sunday that rescue and emergency forces were operating at a location in central Israel where a strike was reported.

The IDF said it was conducting searches and assistance operations in the area.

It was not immediately clear if there were any injuries or the extent of the damage.

Earlier Saturday night, the IDF said Iran launched missiles toward Israel and that its air defense systems were actively working to intercept the incoming threats.

The military said emergency alerts were pushed to mobile phones in affected areas and reminded the public to continue following its latest guidance.

New video released by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) shows a Boeing B‑52 Stratofortress taking off for a night mission as U.S. strikes continue under Operation Epic Fury.

The dramatic footage captures the massive bomber roaring down the runway in darkness before lifting off for combat operations.

“A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress takes off for a night mission during Operation Epic Fury,” CENTCOM wrote while posting the clip.

Military officials added that strikes carried out by U.S. forces remain “unpredictable, dynamic, and decisive.”

According to the U.S. Air Force, the "B-52H Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet."

Air raid sirens sounded across Tel Aviv Saturday night after Iran launched missiles toward Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The IDF said its air defense systems were actively working to intercept the incoming threats, while emergency alerts were pushed to mobile phones in affected areas.

“The IDF identified that a short while ago, missiles were launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel,” the military said.

Residents were instructed to enter protected spaces immediately and remain there until further notice.

Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reported that multiple interceptions were visible over Tel Aviv, with loud explosions echoing across the city as defense systems engaged the missiles.

“Back to back air raid sirens across Tel Aviv,” Yingst wrote, adding that explosions could be heard during the interceptions.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., defended U.S. strikes against Iran and criticized fellow Democrats who oppose the operation, saying it has made the region “more safe” and “more secure.”

Speaking on "The Big Weekend Show," Fetterman said the military campaign has significantly reduced Iran’s ability to obtain a nuclear weapon.

“Now when Donald Trump has done something about that and now has made that virtually now impossible,” Fetterman said. “I don’t understand why Democrats can’t say that after this it’s made things more safe.”

Fetterman also said he was the only Democrat refusing to support shutting down funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), arguing doing so would make the country less safe.

“I truly don’t understand that, other than it’s just toxic for a Democrat to agree with something that maybe the Republican side might agree with,” he said.

The Pennsylvania senator added that his approach is guided by “country over party.”

“I’m always going to be on the right side with Israel. I’m going to back our military 100 percent,” Fetterman said.

He also said he supports secure mail-in voting in reference to the SAVE Act while acknowledging voter ID requirements, calling basic identification to vote “not outrageous.”

Turkey Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Iran may be open to “back-channel diplomacy” with the United States even as the war in the Middle East intensifies, according to an Associated Press exclusive interview.

Fidan told The Associated Press there is no serious effort underway to restart formal negotiations, but suggested Tehran could still be open to quiet talks.

“The conditions are not very much conducive,” he said, adding Iranian leaders “feel betrayed” after being attacked while negotiating over their nuclear program.

Fidan also said Turkey is trying to stay out of the widening conflict, even after missiles believed to have come from Iran were intercepted over Turkish territory by NATO defenses.

Fidan also said Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who was wounded earlier in the war, is “alive and functioning.”

New video released by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) shows massive explosions tearing through Iranian military targets as U.S. forces continue strikes under Operation Epic Fury.

The dramatic video, with an “UNCLASSIFIED” label emblazoned across the top, captures precision strikes detonating Iranian positions in rapid succession, sending debris and fireballs into the night sky.

“U.S. forces continue to degrade Iranian military capability,” CENTCOM wrote while sharing the clip on X.

The clips come as the United States ramps up attacks on Iran’s military infrastructure following the launch of Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28, targeting missile systems, launch sites and other strategic assets tied to the regime.

The latest videos offer a rare look at the scale and intensity of the strikes now underway.

A pro-Iran protest in New York City drew hundreds of demonstrators Friday, with some chanting support for Hezbollah and Hamas, both designated foreign terrorist organizations.

The rally took place in Times Square for Al-Quds Day, an annual anti-Israel event established by Iran in 1979 and held on the final Friday of Ramadan.

Fox News congressional correspondent Bill Melugin reported that protesters openly voiced support for the Iranian regime during the demonstration.

“We proclaim our support for the Islamic Republic,” one speaker shouted to the crowd. “Shame, shame, USA!”

Other chants heard during the rally included: “Say it loud, say it clear, we support Hezbollah here” and “We support Hamas here.”Some demonstrators were also seen holding images of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Mike Waltz reacted to the protest on X, writing that demonstrators were exercising a level of free speech that would not exist under the Iranian regime they support.

“A freedom of speech and protest that would get them arrested or killed by the very same terrorist organizations they support,” Waltz wrote.

Counter-protesters also appeared at the rally, chanting “USA! USA!” nearby.

The White House released a new video Saturday outlining the central objective of Operation Epic Fury, saying the campaign is aimed at eliminating Iran’s network of proxy forces across the Middle East.

In the video, President Donald Trump says the mission is to ensure Iran-backed militant groups can no longer destabilize the region or target U.S. forces.

“We are going to ensure that the region’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region or the world and attack our forces,” Trump said.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the operation is designed to stop the Iranian regime from using proxy forces to threaten the “free world.”

Dan Caine added that U.S. forces are continuing to push deeper into Iran’s military and industrial base to prevent the regime from projecting power outside its borders.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said the campaign aims to destroy Iran’s ability to sponsor terrorism through proxy groups across the region.

The video marks the latest messaging from the Trump administration on goals for Operation Epic Fury, which began on Feb. 28.

President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States has “completely decimated” Iran militarily and economically as Operation Epic Fury continues across the Middle East.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said countries that rely on oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz must now help secure the vital waterway.

“The United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran, both Militarily, Economically, and in every other way,” Trump wrote.

The president said the U.S. will still help coordinate international efforts to keep the shipping route open.

“The Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help — A LOT!” Trump wrote.

He added that the effort should become a global coalition to protect shipping and stabilize the region.

“This should have always been a team effort, and now it will be," Trump said.

United States Central Command released striking photos from inside U.S. Air Force supply flights supporting Operation Epic Fury across the Middle East.

The images show crews flying nighttime missions aboard Lockheed C-130 Hercules cargo planes as they move supplies to U.S. and allied forces operating throughout the region.

CENTCOM said the aircraft are helping deliver equipment and logistical support to troops engaged in the campaign against Iran.

“Sustainers support the fight wherever and whenever needed,” the command wrote on X.

The C-130 has long been a backbone of U.S. military logistics, capable of landing on austere airfields while transporting troops, ammunition and other critical supplies into combat zones.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it has carried out about 400 waves of airstrikes across western and central Iran since launching Operation Roaring Lion alongside the U.S. military's Operation Epic Fury.

Israeli officials said the strikes have focused on dismantling Iran’s missile launch infrastructure and air defense networks.

Over the past day alone, Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck more than 200 Iranian military infrastructure sites, according to the IDF.

Targets included ballistic missile launchers, some already loaded and prepared to fire toward Israel.

The military said the Israeli Air Force completed its 400th wave of strikes Friday, marking a major milestone in the campaign.

Since the start of the operation, Israeli strikes have targeted fire control systems, defense networks and weapons production units in western Iran in an effort to reduce missile attacks against Israeli territory.

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said Saturday that all U.S. citizens in Iraq should leave "immediately," as "Iran-aligned terrorist militias have attacked the International Zone in central Baghdad on multiple occasions."

The announcement came after a missile reportedly struck a helipad inside the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad early Saturday.

"Iran-aligned terrorist militias have encouraged and carried out indiscriminate attacks against U.S. citizens and U.S.-associated targets throughout Iraq, including in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. U.S. citizens should leave Iraq immediately," the embassy said.

"Do not attempt to come to the Embassy in Baghdad or the Consulate General in Erbil due to the ongoing risk of rockets, drones, and mortars in Iraqi airspace," it added.

"The U.S. Embassy in Iraq reminds U.S. citizens of the Level 4: Do Not Travel warning for Iraq. U.S. citizens are advised as follows: Do not travel to Iraq due to terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest, and the limited ability of the U.S. government to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Iraq," it also said. "Do not travel to Iraq for any reason. Leave now if you are there."

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon told “Fox News Live” on Saturday that the world has had enough with the Iranian regime’s “radical aggression.” 

“It was a very important week in the U.N. for two reasons. First, the initiative for the condemnation. It didn't come from the U.S. or from us, from Israel. It came from the Gulf countries,” Danon said, referencing a Bahrain-led resolution to condemn Iranian attacks on its regional neighbors. 

“They initiated the resolution, they gathered the support. And the second fact that it was supported by so many countries, it passed in the Security Council and more than 130 countries endorsed this resolution,” he added. 

“So Iran is isolated. You know, it's not only us, it's the entire world saying to the Iranians, you know, enough, enough with this radical aggression against Israel, against the Gulf countries,” he said. “They even attacked Turkey and Cyprus in the last few days. So they are desperate. They are desperate. They panicked.” 

In March 2026, as the smoke cleared over Tehran following the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran’s leadership, Russia’s response was strikingly restrained. Despite a 20-year strategic partnership treaty signed with Tehran just last year, Moscow limited its reaction to condemnation and calls for diplomacy. 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russia had received no request from Iran for military assistance. "There were no requests from Iran in this case," Peskov told reporters on March 5th.

For analysts who study the relationship between Moscow and Tehran, the moment felt familiar. "The relationship has always been transactional," said Ksenia Svetlova, executive director of the Regional Organization for Peace, Economy and Security (ROPES) and an associate fellow at Chatham House. "Russia does what serves its own interests."

While Iran and Russia have moved closer in recent years — particularly after Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine — experts say the partnership has never resembled a true alliance. Instead, they say, it reflects a long history of cooperation shaped by convenience, rivalry and shifting geopolitical needs.

The uneasy relationship between the two powers stretches back nearly two centuries. In 1828, the Treaty of Turkmenchay forced Persia to cede large parts of the Caucasus to the Russian Empire after a military defeat. The treaty remains one of the most painful symbols of foreign domination in Iranian political memory.

In the twentieth century, Russia’s relationship with Iran shifted dramatically. Before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Moscow maintained relatively stable ties with Iran under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. "It actually had good relations with the Shah who visited Moscow after World War II," Svetlova said.

"But Communist Russia was very suspicious of Islamist Iran after the 1979 revolution," said Svetlova. It was a mutual distrust; Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini denounced both Cold War superpowers, calling the United States the "Great Satan" and the Soviet Union the "Lesser Satan." 

Israel’s military announced Saturday that it killed two intelligence officials who “were close to the leadership of the Iranian terrorist regime,” just days after they were appointed to replace their slain boss. 

The Israeli Defense Forces said on Friday, “the Israeli Air Force, acting on precise IDF intelligence, carried out a targeted strike in Tehran and eliminated Abdollah Jalali-Nasab and Amir Shariat, senior officials in the Intelligence Directorate of the ‘Khatam al-Anbiya' Emergency Command, which is directly subordinate to the leader of the Iranian terror regime.” 

“Following the elimination of the head of the Intelligence Directorate, Saleh Asadi, during the opening blow of Operation Roaring Lion, Jalali and Shariat were appointed to replace them," the IDF said, describing the operation that began on Feb. 28.

"The two senior intelligence commanders were key figures in the Iranian intelligence community. In addition, both were close to the leadership of the Iranian terrorist regime,” according to the IDF. 

“The intelligence branch of the ‘Khatam al-Anbiya' Emergency Command is responsible for analyzing intelligence. The intelligence is presented to senior officials in Iran’s security system during frequent situational assessments, on the basis of which the war against the State of Israel is conducted,” it added. 

Fox News' Yael Kuriel contributed to this report.

Kharg Island, described by President Donald Trump on Friday as "Iran’s crown jewel," is a small island in the Persian Gulf that carries significant importance for the Iranian regime.

The island, which is about the size of New York City’s Central Park, contains the Kharg Island Oil Terminal, "through which a majority of Iranian oil flows," the U.S. Treasury Department says.

It has a loading capacity of about 7 million barrels per day, and roughly 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports pass through it. Most of those exports are shipped to China and India, underscoring the island’s impact not only to Iran’s energy trade but also to broader global oil markets.

Trump said Friday night that U.S. Central Command "executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East, and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island."

"Our Weapons are the most powerful and sophisticated that the World has ever known but, for reasons of decency, I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island," the president said.

Fox News Digital's Amanda Macias contributed to this report.

U.S. Central Command released a new video Saturday showing American planes taking off from aircraft carriers during Operation Epic Fury, saying "U.S. forces dominate in the skies by launching from the sea."

The footage shows the "yellow shirts" in action, who were described by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine earlier this week as the "unsung heroes of naval aviation."

"Aboard ships like the USS [Gerald] Ford and the Abraham Lincoln are a special group of sailors I want to highlight today. These are the men and women, the sailors up on the roof, running operations on the flight deck with an average age of the early 20s. These are the unsung heroes of naval aviation," Caine said at the Pentagon on Tuesday.

"These young sailors, known for wearing yellow shirts, are in charge of the catapults, taxiing jets around on the flight deck, shooting jets off the front end, and recovering jets off the back end. They are literally involved with every single movement on the on the roof on an aircraft carrier," Caine added. "They are the last ones that a naval aviator sees before getting shot off the front end, and the first one that a naval aviator sees after safely trapping on the back end."

"These crews do it every single time the carrier is at work. Oh, by the way, in the middle of the night and oftentimes in the pouring rain," Caine also said. "These are dedicated young people who take the road less traveled to serve their great nation, doing the deeds that we need them to do."

The Iranian regime is using artificial intelligence to generate a false "global narrative" that it is winning the war with the U.S., Bridget Bean, the former acting director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), told Fox News on Friday.

"They can't win on the battlefield, so they're going to try and win through AI and through a global narrative," Bean said on "The Ingraham Angle."

"And their old playbook was very discernible – funny faces or out-of-time lip sync – but they've gotten very good on some of their AI manipulation. And we've seen that."

Bean said those scrolling quickly on their phones might not notice that something is off about the regime's AI-generated content and urged people to be "careful about what's happening."

"Their goal is to weaken our will, our resolve and to really push a narrative that is not true," she added.

The New York Post reported Thursday that Iran published AI-altered images of the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, which comes on the heels of reports that he is too injured to make a public appearance.

Tech. Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio, has been identified by WSYX as one of the six U.S. service members killed in a plane crash in western Iraq this week during Operation Epic Fury.

U.S. Central Command said Friday that the U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft "was lost while flying over friendly airspace March 12 during Operation Epic Fury." Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine later said "three of the six servicemembers killed during the air refueling mission in Iraq were Ohioans deployed with the Ohio Air National Guard's 121st Air Refueling Wing."

"He called me on Wednesday, and we were able to talk to him," Simmons' mother, Cheryl Simmons, told WSYX. "I was over here, and we actually had a beautiful conversation. I was like Tyler, how are you? He said I'm good. I'm good, but mother knows. He was having some challenges, you know, he told me they had been shot at, but he was okay," Simmons added.

"Tyler was just a fantastic, amazing man," she was quoted by the station as saying.

President Donald Trump said Saturday that "many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe."

"We have already destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military capability, but it’s easy for them to send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close range missile somewhere along, or in, this Waterway, no matter how badly defeated they are," Trump wrote on Truth Social. 

"Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a Nation that has been totally decapitated," he added.

"In the meantime, the United States will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water," Trump also said. "One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE!"

The Fujairah Media Office in the United Arab Emirates said a fire broke out Saturday “as a result of falling debris following the successful interception by air defenses of a drone." 

There were no injuries, it added, but sources told Reuters that some oil-loading operations were suspended in the area. 

The Fujairah emirate, located near the Strait of Hormuz, handles around 1 million barrels per day of the UAE’s Murban crude oil, according to Reuters. 

The UAE’s Ministry of Defense said Saturday that its air defense systems “engaged 9 ballistic missiles and 33 UAVs launched from Iran.” 

“Since the onsets of the blatant Iranian aggression, UAE air defenses have engaged 294 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1600 UAVs launched from Iran,” it added. 

Iranian refugee Armin Assadi told “Fox & Friends Weekend” on Saturday that Iranians “are grateful to God that America stood up” to the regime in Tehran. 

"There isn't tons of videos out there, but there is videos out there. There's people literally in Iran that have never been to America that are thanking USA. There's people in Iran that are doing the Trump dance,” he said. “You know, there's people all over Iran yelling, ‘God bless the USA!’" 

"You can create all these weird narratives that Iran is against this war, but the regime might be, the people are not. The people are celebrating it and are grateful to God that America stood up,” he added. 

“There's a lot of mixed feelings, you know, you have lots of, concerns, worries, stress. It's war. People are going to die. But at the same time, you can't help feel the sense of gratitude and hope that Iran might be free again for the first time in 47 years,” Assadi also said. 

The Israel Defense Forces announced Saturday it struck the “primary research center of the Iranian Space Agency and an aerial defense system production factory.” 

“The center contained strategic laboratories used for research, including developing military satellites, intelligence collection, and directing fire toward targets across the Middle East,” the IDF said. 

“The IDF also struck several Iranian terror regime aerial defense systems production sites including a key factory,” it added. 

Israel launched Operation Roaring Lion alongside the United States’ Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28. As of Saturday, both campaigns have reached their 15-day mark. 

U.S. Central Command released footage Saturday showing American forces carrying out Friday's "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 Island, while preserving the oil infrastructure," CENTCOM said.

"Moments ago, at my direction, the United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East, and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island," Trump had wrote on Truth Social.

The island, located roughly 35 miles off Iran’s Bushehr province in the country’s southwest, is about the size of New York City’s Central Park but carries huge importance for Iran’s economy.

It has a loading capacity of about 7 million barrels per day, and roughly 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports pass through it. Most of those exports are shipped to China and India, underscoring the island’s importance not only to Iran’s energy trade but also to broader global oil markets.

Fox News Digital's Amanda Macias contributed to this report.

As Iranian-designed Shahed drones proliferate across battlefields from Ukraine to the Middle East, relatively cheap unmanned aircraft are forcing the use of some of the world's most expensive air defense systems, raising questions about the long-term sustainability of that approach.

The issue has taken on new urgency in the wake of Operation Epic Fury, as Iranian drones — widely estimated to cost $20,000 to $50,000 to manufacture — target U.S. forces and allied Gulf states across the region.

U.S. and partner forces have relied on a mix of Patriot missiles, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense batteries, naval interceptors and other systems to blunt the attacks.

While many of the incoming drones have been intercepted, the strikes have still exacted a cost, killing six U.S. service members in Kuwait and damaging civilian infrastructure, including airports and hotels in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

The mounting toll has intensified concerns over how to counter drone swarms without depleting interceptor stockpiles that cost millions of dollars each to replace.

The State Department announced it is offering a $10 million reward for information about Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and "key leaders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its component branches.” 

Through its Rewards for Justice program, the State Department also said it is looking for information on Ali Asghar Hejazi, the deputy chief of staff for the Supreme Leader Office and Ali Larijani, Iran's secretary for its Supreme National Security Council. 

“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), part of Iran’s official military, plays a central role in Iran’s use of terrorism as a key tool of Iranian statecraft,” the State Department said. 

“In addition, the IRGC has created, supported, and directed other terrorist groups. The IRGC is responsible for numerous attacks targeting Americans and U.S. facilities, including those that have killed U.S. citizens,” it continued. “Since its founding in 1979, the IRGC has gained a substantial role in executing Iran’s foreign policy. The group now wields control over vast segments of Iran’s economy and is influential in Iranian domestic politics.” 

Bahrain’s Defense Ministry announced Saturday that Iran fired 10 drones and three missiles at the country. 

“The General Command of the Bahrain Defense Force announced that through the unwavering vigilance of its personnel, the BDF's air defense systems continue to successfully counter successive waves of the hostile terrorist Iranian aggression,” the Bahrain News Agency said Saturday. 

“Since the onset of hostilities, air defenses have intercepted and destroyed 124 ballistic missiles and 203 drones targeting the Kingdom of Bahrain,” it added. 

Iran’s military also threatened Saturday to attack cities in the United Arab Emirates, according to The Associated Press. 

A message broadcast by Iranian state television called on people to evacuate “ports, docks and locations where U.S. forces are sheltered in UAE cities,” the AP added. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

A missile reportedly struck a helipad inside the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad early Saturday, two Iraqi security officials told The Associated Press.

The outlet reported that smoke was seen rising from inside the compound.

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad did not immediately comment on the incident.

The embassy had issued a security alert on Friday, saying, "Iran and Iran-aligned terrorist militia groups pose a significant threat to public safety in Iraq."

"There have been attacks against U.S. citizens, U.S. interests, and critical infrastructure. These groups have attacked U.S. businesses and U.S.-operated energy infrastructure and may continue to target them," the message said. "Iran-aligned terrorist militias have also attacked hotels frequented by foreigners and other facilities with U.S. ties throughout Iraq, including in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR). Americans also face risk of kidnapping."

"We are closely monitoring the situation and will keep you updated so you can make decisions about your safety. If you want to leave Iraq, the U.S. government is ready to assist by providing you the latest information about the departure options available.  President Trump, Secretary of State Rubio, and the Department of State have no higher priority than the safety and security of American citizens," the alert also said.

President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. had carried out a bombing raid on Iran’s Kharg Island, a strategically vital island in the Persian Gulf that serves as the country’s largest oil terminal and a crucial hub for its crude exports.

"Moments ago, at my direction, the United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East, and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The island, located roughly 35 miles off Iran’s Bushehr province in the country’s southwest, is about the size of New York City’s Central Park but carries huge importance for Iran’s economy.

It has a loading capacity of about 7 million barrels per day, and roughly 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports pass through it. Most of those exports are shipped to China and India, underscoring the island’s importance not only to Iran’s energy trade but also to broader global oil markets.

That makes Kharg Island one of Iran’s most sensitive and strategically important pieces of infrastructure. Any military action there could have consequences well beyond Iran, raising the risk of disruptions to crude flows, shipping traffic and energy prices across the region.

Trump said the U.S. had deliberately avoided targeting the island’s oil infrastructure, while warning that could change if Iran moved to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.