Camille Naredo

Smoke rises from the direction of an energy installation in the Gulf emirate of Fujairah on March 14, 2026. Smoke could be seen rising from the direction of a major UAE energy installation on March 14, in what appeared to be the latest strike targeting the Gulf's petroleum facilities hours after the US struck Iran's Kharg Island.

Smoke rises from the direction of an energy installation in the Gulf emirate of Fujairah on March 14, 2026. Smoke could be seen rising from the direction of a major UAE energy installation on March 14, in what appeared to be the latest strike targeting the Gulf's petroleum facilities hours after the US struck Iran's Kharg Island. (Photo by AFP) /

Article (news)

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1773498037205AFP__20260314__A39G4YX__v2__HighRes__UaeIranUsIsraelWar.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Smoke rises from the direction of an energy installation in the Gulf emirate of Fujairah on March 14, 2026. AFP" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Smoke rises from the direction of an energy installation in the Gulf emirate of Fujairah on March 14, 2026. <em>AFP</em></span></span></span></div><p>JERUSALEM -- Israel said the war against Iran was entering its &quot;decisive phase&quot; on Saturday, as explosions rocked cities across the Middle East, with strikes on the US embassy in Baghdad and a major Emirati energy facility.</p><p>Washington&#x27;s embassy in Iraq was hit by a drone, security sources told AFP, the second time it has been targeted since February 28, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran and plunged the Gulf into a conflict that has sent shockwaves through the global economy.</p><p>Millions have been displaced by waves of drone, missile and aerial bombing, while more than 1,200 people have reportedly been killed in Iran, with little sign of the conflict slowing as it entered its third week.</p><p>Oil prices have surged by 40 percent as Iran chokes off the vital Strait of Hormuz with threats to shipping and strikes on Gulf energy facilities.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/14/afp-to-conserve-fuel-but-essential-security-operations-to-continue-1414">READ: AFP to conserve fuel but essential security operations to continue</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/13/asean-calls-for-ceasefire-diplomacy-as-middle-east-conflict-threatens-energy-supply-1803">READ: ASEAN calls for ceasefire, diplomacy as Middle East conflict threatens energy supply</a></div><p>Clouds of black smoke rose Saturday over Fujairah, home to a major Emirati oil storage and export terminal, shortly after Iran&#x27;s military warned UAE civilians to avoid port areas.</p><p>President Donald Trump said Friday that US forces had struck Iran&#x27;s Kharg Island, its biggest oil export hub, and &quot;obliterated every MILITARY target&quot;, though sparing its energy facilities.</p><p>Iranian media confirmed the island&#x27;s oil facilities were unaffected. Iran had threatened US-linked oil and energy firms would be &quot;turned into a pile of ashes&quot; if they were hit.</p><p>The strike could be a &quot;turning point&quot; with both sides escalating in a bid to force a surrender, said analyst Vali Nasr of John Hopkins University in a social media post. &quot;The end will likely not be Iranian backing off but inflaming the Gulf.&quot;</p><p>Trump said the US Navy would start escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz &quot;very soon&quot;, but governments around the world fear a prolonged blow to their economies.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>- &#x27;Long as necessary&#x27; -</strong></div><p>Israel&#x27;s Defense Minister Israel Katz said the strikes on Kharg showed the war was entering a &quot;decisive phase&quot;, though he cautioned it would &quot;continue as long as necessary&quot;.</p><p>Yet, despite facing superior US and Israeli firepower, Iran appears determined to fight on.</p><p>Blasts were heard by AFP journalists over Jerusalem on Saturday after the army detected missiles fired from Iran.</p><p>Iran has launched missile and drone attacks against at least 10 of its neighbors.</p><p>The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas urged Iran to refrain from targeting Gulf neighbors, many of which have supported its cause. It was a rare breach between the allies, though Hamas affirmed Tehran&#x27;s right to defend itself.</p><p>Qatar said it intercepted two missiles over the capital&#x27;s downtown area on Saturday and evacuated key areas after blasts were heard by AFP journalists in Doha.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/13/us-support-to-ph-unchanged-despite-middle-east-conflict-afp-1443">READ: US support to PH &#x27;unchanged&#x27; despite Middle East conflict — AFP</a></div><p>Strikes continue in Iran, with heavy blasts shaking Tehran late Friday and local media reporting strikes in several provinces through Saturday.</p><p>Israel&#x27;s army warned people in an industrial zone of Tabriz in northern Iran to evacuate, signaling an imminent attack.</p><p>Iran&#x27;s health ministry says more than 1,200 people have been killed by US and Israeli attacks, numbers that could not be independently verified.</p><p>Up to 3.2 million people have been displaced inside Iran, according to the UN refugee agency.</p><p>Trump described Iran as &quot;totally defeated&quot; and in search of a deal he was unwilling to consider.</p><p>More than 15,000 targets in Iran have been hit by the US and Israel in two weeks, the Pentagon said.</p><p>A report this week said the first six days alone cost the US $11.3 billion and it has lost 13 military personnel.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>- Transition -</strong></div><div><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAFz8gWM8iRADsJr&amp;cid=AB0fakY_D5z6d6Zf"></script></div><p>US media raised the possibility of a ground invasion, with the New York Times and Wall Street Journal reporting the Pentagon had dispatched the Japan-based amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli to the region with some 2,500 Marines.</p><p>Iran&#x27;s rulers appear intent on showing they will survive the war and maintain control, despite their supreme leader Ali Khamenei being killed on day one.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/3/13/oil-holds-above-100-and-stocks-fall-as-khamenei-targets-hormuz-1124">READ: Oil holds above $100 and stocks fall as Khamenei targets Hormuz</a></div><p>Khamenei&#x27;s son Mojtaba Khamenei was named the new supreme leader, but has been absent from public view and is reportedly wounded.</p><p>Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran&#x27;s last shah, said on social media Saturday that he was ready to lead a transition &quot;as soon as the Islamic Republic falls&quot;.</p><p>But Iran&#x27;s Revolutionary Guards have threatened a heavy crackdown on any anti-government protests. Thousands were killed in mass demonstrations in January, and a near-total internet blackout has been imposed since the war began.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>- &#x27;Existential battle&#x27; -</strong></div><p>Beyond the Gulf, Turkey said NATO forces shot down a ballistic missile launched from Iran -- the third such interception in the war.</p><p>Lebanon has also been drawn in.</p><p>The Iran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel from Lebanon after Khamenei&#x27;s death and its leader, Naim Qassem, has called the current conflict an &quot;existential battle&quot;.</p><p>Israel has responded with air and ground assaults, killing at least 773 people according to the Lebanese authorities, and issuing evacuation orders that have displaced hundreds of thousands.</p><p>An overnight strike in southern Lebanon killed a dozen health workers at a clinic, with health authorities saying Israel has killed 26 paramedics since March 2.</p>

<p>Israel said the war against Iran was entering its "decisive phase" on Saturday, as explosions rocked cities across the Middle East, with strikes on the US embassy in Baghdad and a major Emirati energy facility.</p>

Israel said the war against Iran was entering its "decisive phase" on Saturday, as explosions rocked cities across the Middle East, with strikes on the US embassy in Baghdad and a major Emirati energy facility.

Israel says Iran war entering 'decisive phase'

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

World

Israel says Iran war entering 'decisive phase'

AFP teams in Jerusalem,

Tehran,

Dubai,

Baghdad and Washington

Published Mar 14, 2026 11:06 PM PHT

Read More:

war

conflict

Middle East

Israel

Iran

United States

Iraq

Baghdad

Donald Trump

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.