Three more members of Iran’s women’s national football team withdrew their asylum requests

Three more members of Iran’s women’s national football team, who had requested asylum in Australia, ultimately decided to return to Iran.

The Fars news agency reported that two players and one member of the staff withdrew their decisions and will return to their country.

Trump: Many countries will send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open

U.S. President Donald Trump said today that many countries will send warships in order to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, but he did not provide further details about which countries would do so.

In a post on Truth Social, the American president said he hopes that China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain, and other states will send ships to the region.

Explosions over Jerusalem

Explosions were heard over Jerusalem, according to AFP journalists, shortly after the Israeli army warned that it had detected incoming missiles from Iran.

Iran: Evacuate areas around ports in Abu Dhabi and Dubai

Iran’s Tasnim news agency is calling on residents of the United Arab Emirates to “immediately” evacuate the areas around Jebel Ali Port in Dubai, Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi, and the port of Fujairah.

“These areas have become legitimate targets due to the presence and concealment of American military forces among civilian facilities and will be targeted in the coming hours,” the agency reports.

The U.S. embassy in Baghdad was hit by a missile.

A strike against the U.S. embassy in Baghdad shook the Iraqi capital, with a missile hitting the complex and smoke rising from the buildings. Initial reports mention damage, though details remain unclear, and it is possible that a drone was also involved in the attack.

According to Reuters, the missile struck the embassy building, causing major alarm, though the severity of the damage has not yet been clarified. The Associated Press reported that the missile specifically hit the complex’s helipad. At the same time, sources cited by AFP said that a drone may also have struck the embassy.

Trump: “We eliminated every military target on Iran’s Kharg Island; protection of shipping will begin soon.”

“The U.S. Central Command carried out one of the most powerful air attacks in the history of the Middle East,” the U.S. president said.

Smoke and flames near the U.S. embassy in Baghdad

A CNN video released shortly ago shows smoke and flames rising from a building near the United States embassy complex in Baghdad, Iraq. So far, it is not clear whether the embassy compound itself was directly hit.

U.S. orders non-essential diplomatic staff to leave Oman

U.S. diplomacy yesterday (Friday) ordered all non-essential staff at the embassy in Oman, as well as their family members, to leave the sultanate due to risks linked to the war against Iran.

The State Department issued an updated advisory referring to the “threat posed” by drones and missiles launched by the Iranian military, as well as major disruptions in air traffic.

Two people were killed as a result of a drone strike in northern Oman, state media reported Friday, as Iran continues retaliatory strikes in neighboring states.

Iran considers allowing oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz only if oil is sold in Chinese yuan

Iran may allow a limited number of oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, on the condition that the oil is sold in Chinese yuan, according to a senior official.

This development comes as Tehran is working on a new plan to manage tanker passage through the strategically important waterway, through which a significant portion of global energy trade passes.

At the same time, Trump warned that the U.S. could strike oil infrastructure on Kharg Island if Iran continues to block ships from passing through the Strait of Hormuz. He also stated that U.S. forces “completely neutralized every military target” on the island, which handles about 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports.

Market concerns over possible disruptions to shipping through the strait have already pushed international oil prices to their highest level since July 2022, a few months after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the United Nations warned that any restrictions on ship passage through the Strait of Hormuz would have a “huge impact” on humanitarian operations. UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher stressed that when navigation in the strait stops, the transport of essential goods—such as food, medicine, and fertilizers—is immediately affected, making them harder and more expensive to deliver.

Kharg Island and its importance

Kharg Island is a small rocky island just 24 kilometers off the coast of Iran, but its importance to the Iranian economy and oil exports is enormous. It serves as the central hub for loading and exporting most of Iran’s crude oil to international markets.

Trump said that U.S. forces carried out one of the most powerful air raids in Middle Eastern history, destroying every military target on the island.

Security analyst Mickey Kay explains why Kharg Island is vital for Iran and why it is a strategic point of interest for the United States. Destroying military infrastructure on the island does not only affect the country’s defense but also has a direct impact on oil exports and the global energy market.

Despite its small size, the island functions as a “vital artery” for the Iranian economy, making any attack or threat against it a matter of major strategic importance for international relations in the region.