Trump demands China, other nations deploy warships to Strait of Hormuz (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

The US leader wants a broad international response to Iranian retaliatory attacks on US and Israeli-linked shipping in the waterway

US President Donald Trump has threatened to order strikes on Iran’s main oil export hub on Kharg Island unless Tehran halts attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, raising fears of a deeper shock to global energy supplies. His warning came as markets closely monitored whether recent US strikes had damaged the island’s critical infrastructure, which handles most of Iran’s crude exports.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it has “executed a large-scale precision strike” on the island, targeting military facilities “while preserving the oil infrastructure.” 

Iran has insisted the installations on the island had not sustained heavy damage, while the country’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it maintains “full and precise control” over the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC also threatened retaliation against American “hideouts” in the Gulf states. 

The escalation follows new reports by Iranian media claiming that a US oil tanker was attacked and set on fire near Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.

Here are the latest developments as RT continues to bring you up to date:

• Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it has carried out additional strikes on Israel in coordination with Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, according to Iranian media. A number of countries across the Gulf reported intercepting aerial strikes from Iran overnight, including Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Israel also reported coming under fire and intercepting rockets and missiles.
  
  
• Iraqi officials said a missile hit a helipad at the US Embassy in Baghdad, while pro-Iranian sources claimed a kamikaze drone attack damaged an air-defense radar system.
  
  
• The Israeli military said its air force struck more than 200 targets across western and central Iran over the past 24 hours, including missile launchers, air‑defense systems and weapons production sites.
  
  
• The US has deployed about 10,000 AI‑enabled Merops interceptor drones to the Middle East to help counter Iranian aerial attacks, US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll told Bloomberg. The systems were developed under a Pentagon program and were previously tested in Ukraine.
  
  
• The US military confirmed that all six crew members aboard a refueling aircraft that crashed in western Iraq were killed.
  
  
• The Wall Street Journal reported that five US Air Force tanker aircraft at a base in Saudi Arabia were damaged in an Iranian missile strike and were undergoing repairs.
  
  
• European powers led by France have been reportedly consulting partners in the Middle East and Asia about a possible naval mission to escort commercial tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump also said on Friday that the US Navy would “soon” begin escorting commercial vessels through the waterway to help ensure safe passage, without giving details on timing or conditions.

Follow our live coverage below for continuous updates. You can also read our previous updates here.