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ABC News

Trump calls Strait of Hormuz 'something that we don't need'

PHOTO: Royal Oman Police Coast Guard patrol boat surveys the area as the traffic is down in the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 12, 2026.
2:23
Benoit Tessier/Reuters
US bombs vital oil hub Kharg Island
By Kevin Shalvey, Meredith Deliso, Jon Haworth, Nadine El-Bawab
Last Updated: March 13, 2026, 11:30 PM

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israel strikes attack targeting military and government sites, officials said.

Iranian state television confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed in Tehran on the first day of strikes. His son Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen on Sunday to succeed him.

Iran is responding to the operation with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and multiple Gulf nations. Israel is also intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.

(Read previous Iran live updates here.)

Watch special coverage on Nightline, "War with Iran," each night on ABC and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

Key Headlines

  • IRGC declares it continues efforts to 'pursue and kill' Netanyahu
  • CENTCOM calls Iranian claims US targeted Gulf countries a 'lie'
  • War with Iran ‘will certainly’ end in next few weeks: Secretary Wright
  • Pentagon identifies 6 Air Force airmen killed in KC-135 refueling aircraft crash
  • Trump repeats calls for other countries to help with Strait of Hormuz
Here's how the news is developing.

Mar 13, 2026 11:30 PM

Trump says U.S. executed strike on Kharg Island

President Donald Trump said Friday that U.S. Central Command executed a strike on Iran's Kharg Island "moments ago," at his direction.

In a social media post announcing the strike, Trump noted that the "bombing raid" did not target the island's oil infrastructure but "obliterated every MILITARY target."

"However," he said, "should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision."

PHOTO: In this satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC, Iran's Kharg Island is seen on Feb. 26, 2026.
Planet Labs PBC via AP
In this satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC, Iran's Kharg Island is seen on Feb. 26, 2026.
Planet Labs PBC via AP

The president urged the Iranian military to surrender.

"Iran's Military, and all others involved with this Terrorist Regime, would be wise to lay down their arms, and save what's left of their country, which isn't much!" Trump added.

Refineries on Kharg Island process 90% of Iranian oil exports. The island is located roughly 300 miles away from the Strait of Hormuz.


Mar 13, 2026 8:10 PM

Army sends nearly 10,000 AI drones to fight Iran

The Army has deployed nearly 10,000 AI-powered drones to the Middle East since the war with Iran started, according to a U.S. official.

The drones, known as Merops, were developed by Perennial Autonomy, a defense venture backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and are designed to hunt and destroy enemy drones.

The system has already seen extensive use on the Ukrainian front, where Merops have downed more than 1,000 Iranian-made Shahed drones used by Russia, according to the official.

The Shahed is the same drone being used against U.S. troops in the Middle East.

-ABC News' Steven Beynon


Mar 13, 2026 5:59 PM

US offering up to $10M reward for information on top Iranian officials

The U.S. government is offering a "reward of up to $10 million for information on the key leaders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its component branches," according to the Rewards for Justice website.

The U.S. is looking for information on 10 officials, including Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Deputy Chief of Staff in the Supreme Leader Office Ali Asghar Hejazi and Director and Minister of Intelligence and Security Esmail Khatib.

It is also seeking information on unnamed individuals holding key positions, including secretary of the Defense Council, the IRGC commander and advisor to the supreme leader.



Mar 13, 2026 3:51 PM

2,200 Marine unit, 3 warships ordered to head to Middle East

A Marine expeditionary unit with 2,200 Marines aboard three U.S. Navy amphibious ships is being ordered to the Middle East, according to two U.S. officials.

The 31st MEU is permanently deployed to Japan and operates in the INDO-PACOM region, but it is now being ordered to head to the Middle East.

Its deployment does not mean that the unit is going to be used as a ground force for use in Iran, but it offers land, amphibious and aviation assets that can be available to military commanders if needed.

This particular MEU also includes a squadron of F-35 fighter jets and a squadron of MV-22 tilt rotor Osprey aircraft.

-ABC News' Luis Martinez


Mar 11, 2026 10:57 AM

Saudi Arabia intercepts 24 drones, 7 missiles overnight, ministry says

Air defenses in Saudi Arabia intercepted seven ballistic missiles and 24 drones overnight and into Wednesday morning, the country's Ministry of Defense said in a series of posts on social media.

Drone and missile interceptions happened across several regions, the ministry said.

Six ballistic missiles launched toward the Prince Sultan Air Base were intercepted, the ministry said. Seven drones heading towards an oil field in the southeast of the country near the border with the United Arab Emirates were intercepted.

"Two drones heading towards the Shaybah oil field were intercepted and destroyed," the ministry said.

Another five drones were intercepted and destroyed, the ministry said in separate posts.

-ABC News' Ayat Al-Tawy


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