By Jon Gambrell and David Rising
Dubai, March 31
A likely US strike hit the central Iranian city of Isfahan early Tuesday, sending a massive fireball into the sky, while Tehran targeted a fully loaded Kuwaiti oil tanker in the Persian Gulf.
The attacks mark the escalation of the month-long conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran. Tehran’s continued control of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted global energy shipments, pushing oil prices sharply higher. Brent crude hovered around USD 107 a barrel, up 45 percent since February 28.
US President Donald Trump shared video of the Isfahan strike, which appeared to target military positions near Mount Soffeh, a site suspected of storing highly enriched uranium. Satellite images suggest Tehran moved uranium to the facility weeks before the US strike, approaching weapons-grade enrichment levels.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi insisted the strikes are aimed only at US forces, but a drone hit a Kuwaiti oil tanker in Dubai waters, injuring four civilians. Saudi Arabia intercepted three ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh, causing minor damage, while sirens sounded in Bahrain and Jerusalem amid missile warnings.
Israel reported four soldiers killed in Lebanon and two UN peacekeepers dead, prompting an emergency UN Security Council session. The conflict has claimed over 1,900 lives in Iran, more than 1,200 in Lebanon, and dozens elsewhere, including US and Israeli forces.
Trump has deployed additional Marines and paratroopers to the region and warned of broader strikes if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened. Iran has threatened further attacks on Gulf Arab states if US forces advance.
