Airstrikes Hit Nuclear And Steel Facilities, G7 Discusses Post-Conflict Hormuz Security – OpEd

The conflict between the Iranian regime, the United States, and Israel entered its 28th day on March 27, 2026. Following yesterday’s intense airstrikes across several Iranian cities and the regime’s retaliatory missile attacks on Israel and the United Arab Emirates, military operations escalated further today. A new wave of Israeli airstrikes targeted the regime’s key nuclear infrastructure and major industrial complexes. In response, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) threatened to strike US- and Israeli-linked industries across neighboring Gulf states.

Meanwhile, as the regime continues to paralyze global shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, G7 foreign ministers meeting in France agreed to establish a maritime security mission that will only commence after hostilities cease. US officials also disclosed the latest American casualty figures since the war began, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the ongoing military campaign aims to permanently weaken the regime and prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Roundup of today’s key events

• Israeli airstrikes targeted the Ardakan yellowcake production plant and the Arak heavy water complex.
• Major steel manufacturing complexes in Isfahan and Ahvaz were hit by strikes, resulting in at least one death and multiple injuries.
• The IRGC issued warnings of retaliatory attacks against US- and Israeli-affiliated industrial sites in neighboring Gulf countries, urging workers to evacuate.
• US Central Command reported that 303 US troops have been wounded and 13 killed since the war began, while activist groups estimate over 1,100 Iranian regime troops have died.
• G7 foreign ministers agreed to secure the Strait of Hormuz, but only after the war between the US, Israel, and the Iranian regime concludes.
• Two Chinese container ships attempted to exit the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz but were forced to turn back despite the regime’s earlier assurances of safe passage.
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio drew a sharp distinction between the Iranian people and the regime, vowing to severely degrade the clerics’ military capabilities and end their 47-year history of sponsoring terrorism.

Airstrikes target the regime’s nuclear and industrial facilities

The Israeli army announced that its air force launched a widespread wave of simultaneous strikes against the Iranian regime’s infrastructure across three regions. The attacks targeted key nuclear sites, including the Ardakan yellowcake production plant in Yazd province and the Khandab heavy water complex in Arak.

The regime’s Atomic Energy Organization confirmed the strike on the Ardakan facility, which became operational in 2023, stating that preliminary assessments showed no radiation leaks. Similarly, a political and security official from Markazi province confirmed the Arak heavy water complex was hit in two stages, claiming there were no human casualties or threats to local residents. The Arak facility is one of the regime’s most critical nuclear sites and had been targeted previously in the conflict.

Industrial targets were also hit on Friday afternoon. The Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade confirmed attacks on the Mobarakeh Steel Company in Isfahan and the Khuzestan Steel Company in Ahvaz. In Isfahan, a power substation and an alloy steel production line were targeted, resulting in one death and two injuries, according to provincial security officials. In Ahvaz, warehouse facilities were struck. Images circulating on social media showed thick smoke rising from both industrial zones.

IRGC threatens regional industries with ties to the US and Israel

Following the strikes on the regime’s nuclear and steel centers, the IRGC issued a threatening statement declaring it would launch retaliatory attacks against industries and companies in the region that have American shareholders or cooperate with Israel.

The IRGC’s public relations office warned employees of these industrial facilities to immediately evacuate their workplaces, and advised residents living within a one-kilometer radius of such sites to leave the area to avoid endangerment. Amplifying the threat, the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency published a list of potential targets, specifically naming steel plants located in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Bahrain.

US casualty figures released amid ongoing negotiations

On March 27, US Central Command disclosed that 303 US service members have been wounded since the start of “Operation Epic Fury” on February 28. According to US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, 273 of the wounded troops have already returned to duty, though 10 remain seriously injured. A further 13 US troops have been killed in the conflict, with seven dying in the Gulf and six in Iraq.

The Iranian regime has restricted reporting and refused to release an updated casualty toll for its own forces. However, a US-based activist group reported earlier this week that at least 1,167 Iranian troops had been killed, with the status of another 658 remaining unknown.

Despite the escalating violence, US President Donald Trump stated on Thursday that talks to end the conflict are “ongoing” and “going very well.” Concurrently, the Iranian regime’s military warned that any hotels in the region housing US soldiers would be considered legitimate targets by Tehran.

G7 plans post-war Hormuz security as shipping remains stalled

The global economic fallout of the war was the primary focus of a G7 foreign ministers meeting hosted in France. The group reached a consensus to protect maritime passage through the Strait of Hormuz, but explicitly made the mission conditional on the end of the current war. French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated the international escort mission would operate “once calm has been restored.”

The stance reflects widespread European reluctance to engage militarily while the conflict is active. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed skepticism about the ongoing military campaign, questioning whether the US and Israel could successfully achieve “regime change” in Iran. Merz noted that Germany would be open to helping protect the Strait of Hormuz only in the event of a ceasefire and with an international mandate.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that the US was asking allies to prepare the multi-national mission for “the day after the war.” Rubio warned that Tehran might attempt to impose a permanent closure of the waterway, which handles a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies. Oil prices responded to the ongoing uncertainty, with Brent crude rising to $110 a barrel and European gas prices hovering around €54 per megawatt-hour.

President Trump recently extended a deadline for the Iranian regime to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 10 days, reportedly at Tehran’s request. Despite the regime’s assurances to the UN that “friendly nations” would be guaranteed safe passage, risk remains exceptionally high. On Friday, two Hong Kong-flagged Chinese container ships operated by COSCO attempted to exit the Gulf but were forced to turn back.

Rubio condemns regime’s decades of terrorism

Speaking to the press at Le Bourget Airport in Paris, Secretary of State Marco Rubio drew a sharp line between the Iranian populace and the ruling clerics.

“The Iranian people are phenomenal people. They deserve way better than what they have,” Rubio said, stressing that the regime has used the country’s wealth “to sponsor terrorism, build rockets, build drones, build missiles, build sea mines,” Rubio said.

Rubio stated the regime has been a global threat for 47 years and emphasized the necessity of the current military campaign to strip Tehran of its destructive capabilities. “When we are done with them here over the next couple of weeks, they will be weaker than they’ve been in recent history. And they will not be able to hide behind those weapons to break out and get a nuclear weapon, which would be crazy,” he added.