Iran’s Kharg Island Struck, US' Gulf Allies Hit: 24 Hours Of Escalation Ahead Of Trump’s Ultimatum

Last Updated:April 07, 2026, 20:05 IST

Donald Trump has given Iran time until midnight GMT Tuesday to end its de facto closing of the Strait of Hormuz.

As the clock ticks towards midnight GMT Tuesday — the deadline set by US President Donald Trump for Iran to end its de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz — the conflict in West Asia continued to widen, with attacks reported on Iranian oil export hubs, civilian infrastructure and key energy sites linked to US allies.

Tuesday saw strikes on Kharg Island, carried out by the US military, alongside attacks on Iranian civilian infrastructure. One gunman was killed and two others wounded in a shootout with police outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, officials said, though it remains unclear if the incident is linked to the wider conflict.

• Kharg Struck: US-Israeli strikes have hit Kharg Island, Iran’s key oil export terminal. Clustered within a roughly 100 km radius are offshore fields including Dorood (Dorzan), Forouzan, Abu Zar, Soroush and Nowruz, forming a dense production network feeding into Kharg. Much of the crude from these fields is funnelled to the island for storage and shipment. Kharg itself handles around 90% of Iran’s total crude exports, making it the country’s most critical energy chokepoint. US President Trump had earlier warned that a ground invasion would focus on taking the strategic island to force reopening of the strait.
• Rail Bridge Hit In Iran: Iranian authorities reported a US-Israeli strike on a bridge outside Qom and another on a rail bridge in central Iran that killed two people. Regional officials also said a strike shut down a key highway in northern Iran linking Tabriz with Tehran, while Mizan news agency reported damage to railway tracks in Karaj, outside the capital.
• Drone Attack In Syria: Beyond Iran, the conflict spilled across the region. Syrian military officials said an overnight drone attack originating from Iraq targeted an area in the country’s northeast that hosts a US base.
• Fire At SABIC: In Saudi Arabia, overnight strikes hit a petrochemical complex in the eastern city of Jubail, triggering a fire at facilities operated by Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC). “An attack caused a fire at the SABIC plants in Jubail. The sounds of explosions were very loud," a source said.
• Israel Attacks Iran: Israel’s military said its air defences were activated in response to missiles fired by Iran and later confirmed it had launched two waves of air strikes on Iranian targets during the day.
• Blasts In Kurdistan: In Iraq’s Kurdistan region, two blasts were heard near Erbil airport, which hosts advisers from the US-led coalition, shortly before air defence systems downed four missiles headed towards the US consulate. The region’s Counter-Terrorism Service said a “bomb-laden drone coming from Iran" crashed into a home in Dara Shakran after midnight, killing a couple. Since the conflict erupted on February 28, shadowy Iraq-based groups have claimed near-daily attacks on US interests in the country and beyond, underlining the widening arc of the confrontation.

News world Iran’s Kharg Island Struck, US' Gulf Allies Hit: 24 Hours Of Escalation Ahead Of Trump’s Ultimatum

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