Tensions across the Middle East escalated as Iran launched fresh missile attacks following explosions in its capital, Tehran, amid threats from US President Donald Trump targeting the country’s oil infrastructure, power plants, and desalination facilities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that key military objectives had been achieved, though no timeline was given for the ongoing operations, which have now sparked a month-long regional conflict affecting global markets. Israeli forces responded to new Iranian missile strikes as sirens sounded in Jerusalem, while Tehran reported further blasts causing localized power outages.
The conflict has also spilled into southern Lebanon, where four Israeli soldiers were killed in clashes with Iranian-backed Hezbollah. Iran fired additional missiles toward Gulf nations it accused of facilitating US strikes, causing injuries and fires, including an incident at a Kuwaiti oil tanker in Dubai. Saudi authorities intercepted multiple ballistic missiles after Iranian warnings to remove US forces from the kingdom.
President Trump reiterated that failure to reach a war-ending deal—including reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz—could result in US forces targeting Iran’s key infrastructure. In response, an Iranian parliamentary committee voted to impose tolls on vessels in the strait and ban US and Israeli ships from passage, a move criticized by international officials for setting a concerning precedent.
Meanwhile, Pakistani and regional leaders are attempting to mediate, with talks planned in Beijing to facilitate negotiations between the US and Iran. Civilians in Tehran continue daily routines under tight security, reflecting life amid ongoing war.
Elsewhere, Israel intensified attacks in Lebanon to weaken Hezbollah, resulting in casualties among UN peacekeepers and prompting urgent UN Security Council discussions. G7 nations met to assess the conflict’s impact on energy markets, warning that escalation could drive oil prices to historic highs. Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen have also launched attacks on Israel, threatening shipping routes in the Red Sea.
