Day 15 of the war: US destroys military targets on Kharg, Iran loses 90% of missile capacity, war costs exceed $16 billion

Day fifteen of the war brought American strikes on the strategic island of Kharg — Iran's main oil export hub — a White House warning that the conflict will last another four to six weeks, and an international scandal surrounding the American easing of Russian oil sanctions. The Pentagon admitted that the strike on a school in Minab, which killed 168 children, was caused by outdated intelligence data.

KHARG UNDER FIRE — OIL INFRASTRUCTURE STILL STANDING

American forces struck the island of Kharg on Friday, through which 90 percent of Iranian oil exports pass. More than 15 explosions were recorded on the island. Air defense, a naval base, and airport facilities were hit. However, the oil infrastructure was not damaged — this was confirmed by both American and Iranian sources. Al Jazeera ↗

Trump declared on the social network Truth Social that the United States had "totally destroyed every military target" on Kharg. He also threatened that if Iran does not stop blocking the Strait of Hormuz, American forces would also attack oil facilities. Iran warned that any attack on its oil infrastructure would lead to retaliatory strikes on the oil facilities of allied countries in the Persian Gulf. CNBC ↗

WHITE HOUSE: WAR WILL LAST ANOTHER 4 TO 6 WEEKS

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated that the conflict would last another four to six weeks. Trump's statements are, however, contradictory — in an interview with Fox News he said the war would end "when he feels it in his bones," without giving a specific date, while also claiming that Iran "practically has nothing left to bomb." NBC News ↗

Defense Secretary Hegseth announced at Friday's Pentagon briefing that Iran's missile capacity had dropped by 90 percent and its drone capacity by 95 percent since the start of the war. According to Hegseth, the new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is injured and probably disfigured from the strikes on the first day of the war. Bloomberg ↗

HORMUZ — ESCORTS NOT YET POSSIBLE

According to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, the American navy is not yet ready to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, because all capacity is directed toward destroying Iranian military targets. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated that escorts could begin by the end of March. CNBC ↗

According to CNN sources, Iran is considering allowing a limited number of tankers through on the condition that the oil be traded in Chinese yuan — not US dollars. The new supreme leader Khamenei declared that Hormuz must remain closed as "a tool for pressuring the enemy." CNN ↗

GULF STATES UNDER DRONE ATTACK

Bahrain has intercepted 114 guided missiles and 190 drones since the start of the war. Nevertheless, Iranian drones struck fuel tanks in Muharraq. Saudi Arabia intercepted ten drones and destroyed 28 others over the eastern part of the country — the drones targeted the Shaybah oil field, one of the largest in the world. Al Jazeera ↗

Hezbollah fired more than 100 rockets at Israel in a single salvo on Friday — the largest attack since the start of the war. CNN ↗

KC-135: ALL SIX CREW MEMBERS KILLED

The Pentagon updated information on the crash of a KC-135 refueling aircraft in western Iraq — all six crew members died, not four as originally reported. CENTCOM reiterated that the crash was not caused by hostile or friendly fire, but the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claims it shot down the aircraft "with an appropriate weapon." This is the fourth American aircraft lost since the start of the war. The total number of American soldiers killed in the conflict has risen to 13. Washington Post ↗ CNBC ↗

SCHOOL IN MINAB — PENTAGON ADMITS OUTDATED DATA

Defense Secretary Hegseth confirmed an ongoing "comprehensive investigation" into the strike on the Shajarah Tayyibah elementary school in Minab, which killed 168 children and 14 teachers. According to CNN sources, the strike was caused by outdated intelligence data from the Defense Intelligence Agency — the intended target was said to be a neighboring Revolutionary Guard base, not the school. Washington Post ↗ CNN ↗

EASING OF RUSSIAN SANCTIONS SPARKS OUTRAGE

The Trump administration granted a 30-day exemption from Russian oil sanctions for oil loaded before March 12. Ukrainian President Zelensky sharply criticized the decision — according to him, it could bring Russia $10 billion to finance the war in Ukraine. European Council President António Costa called it "a very concerning decision affecting European security." Putin welcomed the move. NBC News ↗ RFERL ↗

LEBANON: 25 KILLED IN A SINGLE DAY

Israeli forces killed at least 25 people in Lebanon on Friday. In addition to the attack on the village of Arki, which killed nine people including five children, the Israeli army destroyed a bridge in southern Lebanon and threatened "Gaza-level devastation." In Beirut, a so-called double-tap strike — a repeated strike on the same location — hit a group of displaced people on the promenade. Eight people were killed. The total number of displaced people in Lebanon has exceeded 800,000. Al Jazeera ↗ Al Jazeera ↗

WAR COSTS EXCEED $16 BILLION

The Pentagon informed the US Congress that the first six days of the war cost $11.3 billion. According to an estimate by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, total costs over 12 days reached approximately $16.5 billion. Penn Wharton analysts estimate that a two-month war could cost between $40 and $95 billion. NPR ↗ NBC News ↗

Brent crude closed at $103.14 per barrel — the second day above the $100 mark. It has risen by 41.5 percent since the start of the war. The International Energy Agency released a record 400 million barrels from strategic reserves, of which the US contributed 172 million, but prices still did not fall. CNBC ↗

AL-QUDS DAY IN TEHRAN

Thousands of Iranians marched through the streets of Tehran on Friday to mark Al-Quds Day despite the ongoing bombing. Explosions were recorded nearby during the march — one woman died after being hit by shrapnel. The United Kingdom banned the planned Al-Quds march in London for security reasons. Al Jazeera ↗

UPDATED CASUALTY FIGURES (as of March 14, 2026)

Iran: 1,444 dead, 18,551 wounded. Lebanon: 712 dead (including 98 children), 1,933 wounded. Israel: 14 dead. US military: 13 dead (7 from hostile fire, 6 from the KC-135 crash). France: 1 soldier killed. Displaced: 3.2 million in Iran, 800,000 in Lebanon. Ships hit in Hormuz: 20+. American aircraft lost: 4. War costs: $16.5 billion over 15 days. NPR ↗ Al Jazeera ↗