{"id":6713,"date":"2026-03-08T07:11:05","date_gmt":"2026-03-08T07:11:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jubaglobal.com\/?p=6713"},"modified":"2026-03-08T07:11:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-08T07:11:06","slug":"u-s-and-israel-expand-strikes-on-iran-targeting-tehrans-oil-depots-and-refineries-for-the-first-time-as-war-enters-second-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/u-s-and-israel-expand-strikes-on-iran-targeting-tehrans-oil-depots-and-refineries-for-the-first-time-as-war-enters-second-week\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. and Israel Expand Strikes on Iran: Targeting Tehran\u2019s Oil Depots and Refineries for the First Time as War Enters Second Week"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"1320\" src=\"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1977\/2026\/03\/IMG_3616.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6714\" srcset=\"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1977\/2026\/03\/IMG_3616.jpeg 1320w, https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1977\/2026\/03\/IMG_3616-768x768.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1977\/2026\/03\/IMG_3616-1024x1024.jpeg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1320px) 100vw, 1320px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As the U.S.-Israel war against Iran enters its second week on March 8, 2026, the conflict has taken a dramatic and economically devastating turn. Late Saturday night into early Sunday, Israeli forces\u2014supported by U.S. coordination\u2014launched unprecedented strikes on Iran\u2019s critical energy infrastructure, hitting multiple oil storage depots and refining facilities in and around Tehran for the first time since the campaign began on February 28. The attacks sent massive plumes of black smoke and towering flames into the night sky, with residents reporting blackened rainwater falling over parts of the capital on Sunday morning as fallout from burning fuel tanks settled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Escalation to Energy Targets<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The joint U.S.-Israeli operation, initially codenamed \u201cOperation Epic Fury\u201d by the United States and \u201cOperation Roaring Lion\u201d by Israel, started with precision strikes on Iran\u2019s nuclear sites, ballistic missile facilities, air defenses, naval assets, and senior leadership\u2014including the confirmed killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other high-ranking officials. The early phase focused on degrading Iran\u2019s ability to retaliate conventionally and pursue nuclear ambitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By March 7-8, however, the campaign expanded dramatically to include Iran\u2019s oil and gas sector\u2014vital arteries of the Iranian economy and, crucially, funding sources for its military and proxy networks. Israeli warplanes targeted several key facilities:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Oil storage depots in western and southern Tehran, including sites in the Kuhak and Shahran areas.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A major petroleum products transfer center and storage complexes in the neighboring Alborz province and Karaj.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Facilities near Tehran\u2019s main oil refinery in the Shahr Rey district (though initial reports indicate the refinery itself avoided direct hits).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Videos and eyewitness accounts circulating on social media and verified by outlets like CNN, Al Jazeera, and The New York Times showed enormous fireballs lighting up the Tehran skyline, with thick smoke visible for miles. Iran\u2019s Ministry of Oil confirmed the strikes, stating that firefighting teams were battling blazes at multiple locations. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) justified the targets, claiming the facilities were being used to support military operations, including fuel supply for Iran\u2019s remaining air and missile forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This marked a significant escalation: previous strikes had largely avoided civilian economic infrastructure to limit global backlash. Now, with Iran\u2019s conventional defenses heavily degraded\u2014its air force crippled, navy decimated (with over 20 vessels sunk, including in the Indian Ocean), and missile stocks depleted\u2014the coalition shifted to economic warfare, aiming to starve the regime of revenue and further pressure its leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Iranian Retaliation and Regional Spillover<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Iran responded fiercely, launching fresh waves of ballistic missiles and drones not only at Israel but also at U.S. bases and Gulf Arab states hosting American forces. Strikes hit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Water desalination plants in Bahrain.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Oil infrastructure and other targets in Kuwait (killing at least two people).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Facilities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, with Saudi interceptors downing additional projectiles.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Iran briefly attempted to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz\u2014choking off roughly 20% of global oil supply\u2014before backing off amid overwhelming coalition naval presence. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued a rare public apology to Gulf neighbors, claiming the attacks were unintended spillover, but military hardliners continued operations, underscoring internal fractures within the regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The war has also reignited fronts in Lebanon, with Israeli raids and airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in Beirut suburbs killing dozens and displacing hundreds of thousands. Reports indicate renewed special forces operations targeting Iranian-backed assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Trump\u2019s Hardline Stance: No Negotiations Short of Unconditional Surrender<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>U.S. President Donald Trump has doubled down on maximalist objectives. In a Truth Social post, he declared: \u201cThere will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!\u201d He added that following capitulation, the U.S. and allies would help select \u201cGREAT &amp; ACCEPTABLE Leader(s)\u201d and rebuild Iran \u201cbigger, better, and stronger than ever before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trump rejected British Prime Minister Keir Starmer\u2019s offer of aircraft carrier support, stating the U.S. was \u201calready winning\u201d and had no need for additional assets. He honored six fallen U.S. troops in a dignified transfer ceremony, acknowledging rising American casualties while signaling readiness for further intensification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Global Economic Shockwaves<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The strikes on energy infrastructure triggered immediate chaos in global markets. Oil prices surged to historic highs as fears mounted over prolonged supply disruptions. Analysts warn of potential shortages in missile interceptors for defending Gulf allies and broader risks of recession if the conflict drags on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>China urged de-escalation and warned of the \u201cflames of war\u201d spreading, while Russia provided Tehran with intelligence but avoided direct entanglement. The International Atomic Energy Agency has yet to confirm damage to nuclear sites, though coalition officials insist the program has been severely set back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Uncertain Path Ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With over 1,300 confirmed deaths in Iran, civilian infrastructure under fire, and the regime showing signs of internal division, the war\u2019s trajectory remains volatile. Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen hinted at \u201cadditional escalations\u201d in coming days, while Iranian officials vow continued resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As blackened rain falls on Tehran and flames consume fuel depots, the conflict that began as a targeted operation against nuclear and missile threats has morphed into a full-spectrum war with profound regional and global implications. Whether this marks the beginning of the end for the Islamic Republic or the start of a prolonged, costly quagmire will depend on the coming days\u2019 military and diplomatic developments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the U.S.-Israel war against Iran enters its second week on March 8, 2026, the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1199,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6713","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1199"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6713"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6713\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6715,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6713\/revisions\/6715"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}