The conflict between Iran, United States and Israel has entered a new and volatile phase over the past 24 hours, with fresh airstrikes, missile attacks and political warnings signalling that the war is widening across the Middle East. Military operations continued overnight as Israeli and American forces targeted sites inside Iran, whereas Tehran launched additional missiles and drones across Israel and several Gulf states.
Israeli officials said their air force carried out extensive strikes on infrastructure in western Iran, part of a sustained campaign that has already seen thousands of targets hit since the war began. The United States defence leadership said more than 15,000 Iranian targets have been struck during the campaign, including missile launchers, defence systems and weapons production facilities.
Tehran responded with another wave of projectiles across the region. According to analysts cited by Israeli security institutions, Iran has fired more than 290 missiles and over 500 drones toward Israeli territory since the beginning of hostilities. Air-raid sirens were again heard in several cities, while missile defence systems intercepted many of the incoming attacks.
The confrontation began on 28 February when the United States and Israel carried out coordinated strikes on Iranian targets in what Israel called Operation Lion’s Roar. Those attacks killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and a number of senior officials, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes across Israel, US military installations and several allied states in the Gulf.
Conflict spreads across the region
Over the last day the war has increasingly spilled beyond Iran and Israel. Gulf countries reported further missile and drone incidents as Tehran warned it could widen the conflict and target infrastructure linked to the United States. Iranian officials have also urged evacuations around major ports in the United Arab Emirates, accusing American forces of using regional facilities to launch attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure.
The conflict has already caused casualties across several countries and disrupted global shipping and energy markets. Fighting has spread into Lebanon through clashes between Israeli forces and the Iran-aligned group Hezbollah, while missile interceptions have been reported over Turkey and elsewhere in the eastern Mediterranean.
The confrontation has also destabilised the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil transit routes. Iranian forces have threatened commercial shipping in the area, contributing to sharp rises in global energy prices and raising concerns about supply disruptions.
Economic targets across the Gulf have increasingly come under pressure as part of what analysts describe as Tehran’s strategy of economic warfare. Drone and missile strikes have damaged infrastructure in several regional hubs, reinforcing fears that financial and trade centres in the Gulf could become regular targets.
Political statements and uncertainty over negotiations
Political rhetoric has hardened as military operations continue. US President Donald Trump said Washington was not yet prepared to negotiate an end to the conflict, arguing that the conditions offered by Tehran remain unacceptable.
“The terms aren’t good enough yet,” he said in an interview cited in recent reporting.
Iranian leaders have meanwhile vowed to continue retaliation and warned that the campaign will expand if further strikes occur. Iranian military officials also issued threats against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after he said Israeli and US forces were dismantling Iran’s leadership and military capabilities.
Diplomatic efforts remain limited as the war enters its third week, with no clear path toward negotiations. Meanwhile, humanitarian concerns are growing across the region as civilian casualties rise and thousands of people flee affected areas in Iran and neighbouring states.
