What we know on day 15 of the US-Israel war with Iran

(CNN) — US President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed other countries would send naval assets to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open, as Iran continues to block most shipping through one of the world’s most important oil transit routes. In a later post, he added that “hopefully, China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others” will send ships. None of the countries he named have confirmed the plan.

Earlier, Iran’s military warned it could target ports and docks in the United Arab Emirates in retaliation for a US strike on the critical Iranian oil export hub of Kharg Island, an attack that analysts cautioned further escalates the war.

Plumes of smoke were later seen rising from a major oil hub in the United Arab Emirates after a drone attack and fire.

The strikes on Kharg Island, which a US official said avoided hitting vital oil infrastructure, comes as the economic fallout over the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz continues to grow, the Pentagon announced it is deploying a rapid response marine unit to the Middle East, and the US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq was struck by two drones.

Here’s what to know on day 15.

What are the main headlines?

• Strait of Hormuz: While the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut to most tankers, Trump said Saturday that other countries will send naval assets to the strait to open shipping lanes there. It is unclear which countries the president is talking about, and whether any countries have agreed to send ships. Trump wrote later in the lengthy post on Truth Social, “Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others” will deploy ships to the region. In statements to CNN, the UK and China did not confirm whether they would send ships. Meanwhile, Iran allowed two Indian tankers carrying liquid petroleum gas to pass through the strait early Saturday morning, according to an Indian foreign ministry official.
• Raising the stakes: Some operations at the port of Fujairah, a key UAE oil hub, were disrupted following a drone attack and fire Saturday, according to reports from Reuters and Bloomberg citing sources. The blaze began when debris from an intercepted drone fell, the Fujairah Media Office said, which did not mention any disruption to operations. Iran’s military had earlier warned it could target UAE ports and docks in retaliation for the Kharg Island strike claiming the US had launched missiles from these positions overnight. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard issued a warning Saturday urging the United States to move American industrial plants out of the region and telling civilians to evacuate areas close to facilities in “which Americans are shareholders” to avoid any “harm,” according to Iranian state media.
• US Embassy in Baghdad: Two drones struck the US Embassy in the Iraqi capital, a security official told CNN. Video geolocated by CNN on Saturday showed smoke and flames rising from a building in the vicinity of the compound. CNN has reached out to the embassy, State Department, White House and US Central Command for more information. The Iraqi prime minister condemned the attack, saying the country will “continue to pursue those involved in this condemned and unacceptable act.”
• Kharg Island: The US military said it struck more than 90 military targets overnight while “preserving” the island’s oil infrastructure, which handles roughly 90% of Iran’s crude exports. US President Donald Trump threatened to attack that infrastructure on the five-mile stretch of land in the Persian Gulf if Iran continues blocking ships from the Strait of Hormuz. A US military official told CNN the strikes targeted naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers and other military infrastructure.
• Marines heading to region: The Pentagon is deploying a Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East, a rapid response unit that typically comprises around 2,500 Marines and sailors, officials told CNN. It’s not yet clear what the MEU will be used for or where exactly it will be deployed.

What’s happening in the region?

• Strikes on Iran: Israel says it has killed two more senior Iranian intelligence officials as it continues targeting Iran’s security leadership. In a statement, the Israeli military said Abdollah Jalali-Nasab and Amir Shariat were killed in an airstrike in Tehran on Friday. It said the two men had been in charge of the Intelligence Directorate of the Khatam al-Anbiya Emergency Command, and said their deaths marked “another significant blow to the regime’s command and control structures.” An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-affiliated Telegram account later confirmed Jalali-Nasab’s death in a post, but did not comment on Shariat’s condition.
• Grief in Lebanon: Israeli strikes killed nine people from the same family in Lebanon’s south, including four children. “Everyone here knows what my girls meant to me,” the children’s father told CNN. Another Israeli strike targeting a healthcare center killed at least 12 medical staff. Israel on Friday expanded its operations targeting the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah, including in the capital Beirut. Separately, the UN’s peacekeeping mission in Lebanon told CNN it launched an investigation after a position in Mais el-Jebal came under fire and a peacekeeper was injured on Friday. The IDF said it hit the UN position in error and “regrets the incident.”
• Explosions in Israel: Two people were injured in southern Israel after a series of Iranian missile launches on Saturday afternoon. Residents in Tel Aviv heard two large explosions as sirens sounded in the city for the first time in more than 12 hours. Sirens were also heard in Jerusalem and in the north of Israel. The US State Department ordered non-emergency American government employees to leave Oman.
• Around the Gulf: The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia reported interceptions over their territory early Saturday local time, while Bahrain urged residents to shelter in a safe place.

• Deadly plane crash: The US military said all six service members aboard a refueling aircraft were killed when it crashed Thursday in Iraq. Three of those six people were from Ohio, US Vice President JD Vance said. The US said the incident was “not due to hostile fire,” but an Iranian proxy group claimed responsibility without providing evidence for its claims. An Air Force official later told CNN that the aircraft was not equipped with ejection systems or parachutes to evacuate its occupants mid-air.
• Where is the supreme leader? The US government is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information on key Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. US Vice President JD Vance said Khamenei is “hurt” but “we don’t know exactly how bad.” While Khamenei offered a message through Iranian state media Thursday, he didn’t appear on video or audio. CNN previously reported that Khamenei was wounded on the first day of the war.
• Toxic air: CNN analysis of satellite imagery and air quality data shows Israeli strikes at fuel facilities across Tehran last weekend spiked pollution levels, ignited fires and caused oil spills.

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