The Middle East edged closer to a full-scale regional war as Iran intensified strikes on US assets across the Gulf following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and up to 40 senior Iranian officials in coordinated attacks blamed on Washington and Tel Aviv.
Iranian missile and drone assaults targeted American-linked facilities in Bahrain, Iraq, and Kuwait overnight. Authorities in Bahrain confirmed one fatality after debris from an intercepted projectile struck a residential area. Iraqi and Kuwaiti officials also reported fresh Iranian raids, though details of casualties and damage remain limited.
The escalation comes amid a fierce exchange between Iran and Israel. The Israeli military said it was striking at the “heart of Tehran,” launching precision attacks on key infrastructure in the Iranian capital. Iranian state media reported that at least 20 people were killed in strikes around Niloofar Square, with damage to the Gandhi Hospital and a nearby police building.
In response, Iran fired a barrage of missiles into Israel, hitting the cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Israeli emergency services confirmed at least nine people were killed in the central city of Beit Shemesh, marking one of the deadliest single incidents in the current wave of hostilities.
Meanwhile, tensions along Israel’s northern border surged after the Iran-backed group Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets into northern Israel. Israeli officials said they were responding with airstrikes on targets in Lebanon, widening the theatre of conflict.
In Washington, US President Donald Trump warned that military operations against Iran would continue “until all of Washington’s objectives are achieved.” He also vowed to avenge the deaths of three American soldiers reportedly killed in earlier Iranian-linked attacks, signaling that US involvement is unlikely to diminish in the near term.
The rapid cycle of retaliation has fueled fears of a prolonged and devastating regional confrontation, with multiple fronts now active — from the Gulf to Israel’s northern and central cities. Diplomatic channels appear strained as global powers call for restraint, but with both sides escalating rhetoric and military action, prospects for de-escalation remain uncertain.
