The war in the Middle East in maps, video and photos | US-Israel war on Iran
A. The US-Israeli war against Iran, which began on Saturday with bombings and missile strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, has turned into a regional conflict as Tehran retaliated by launching attacks in the Middle East.
On Tuesday, the Israeli army launched a ground operation into Lebanon, where Iran’s ally Hezbollah launched intense attacks after firing rockets at the border.
The US and Israel’s attacks on Iran continued uninterruptedly, killing hundreds of people. Several Iranian attacks were reported in the Gulf on Tuesday, including a drone attack on the US embassy in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Other attacks hit Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates; where officials said they were dealing with an “advanced fire” at the port.
Europe was also dragged into the conflict when Cyprus announced two separate drone attacks targeting a British base on the Mediterranean island.
US and Israeli attacks
On Saturday, Israel announced the launch of what it called Operation Lion’s Roar, which an Israeli military official said was aimed at “weakening the regime’s capabilities.” The attack was launched in conjunction with what the US calls Operation Epic Rage.
Attacks since then have hit key security and political targets in Tehran, including Khamenei’s residence and ballistic missile depots elsewhere in the country.
Cities across Iran were attacked in what an Israeli military official said was a far more far-reaching attack than the US-Israeli attack on Iran in last summer’s 12-day war. Israel claimed to have killed at least 40 senior Iranian commanders on the first day of the attacks.
On Tuesday, the Iranian Red Crescent announced that the death toll in the country was 787.
About 165 people were killed and at least 95 injured in an attack on a girls’ school in Minab in the southern province of Hormozgan, according to state media, in what is seen as the worst mass casualty incident of the campaign against Iran so far. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards’ base is also located in the same city.
Authorities instructed citizens to flee major cities for safety reasons. Many security institutions and officials are located in populated areas of Iran, making civilian casualties likely.
Iran retaliation
Despite visibly losing a significant portion of its senior military and political leadership, Iran has bombed targets in the Gulf—especially countries allied with Washington—and unleashed waves of ballistic missiles aimed at Israel.
In Israel, where Iranian missiles hit many places, 11 people lost their lives, including eight in the town of Beit Shemesh, where the missile hit on Sunday afternoon.
Iran’s retaliation went far beyond previous unwritten red lines that had largely excluded the Gulf from previous conflicts with Israel and the United States.
Iran hit targets including luxury hotels in Dubai and Bahrain and airports in Dubai, Kuwait and Bahrain. As smoke rose over Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah island on Monday, photos showed damage to buildings in Bahrain.
A port facility in Oman and a ship northwest of Muscat were also hit as the Iranian military broadcast radio warnings to ships trying to cross the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura oil refinery was attacked by unmanned aerial vehicles, and defense teams shot down the incoming planes.
New front in Lebanon
The speed at which the conflict became regionalized was dizzying.
Lebanon was drawn into a regional war on Monday after Iran’s ally Hezbollah launched a rocket attack on Israel, which said it wanted “revenge” for Khamenei’s killing. Israel responded quickly with large-scale attacks, including on the capital Beirut, and ordered troops into southern Lebanon on Tuesday.
Israeli airstrikes killed 52 people and displaced at least 30,000 in Lebanon in two days. Israel launched regular air strikes on the country despite the ceasefire agreement reached in 2024.
In the first strike against US allies in Europe, a drone struck Britain’s Akrotiri air base in Cyprus. The Cypriot government said two more drones were seized en route.
The chaos of the conflict was revealed when Kuwait mistakenly shot down three American F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft. All six pilots ejected safely from the aircraft and were reported to be in stable condition.
Separately, US Central Command said four US soldiers were killed as part of US military operations against Iran, without providing details.
Canceled flights, closed trade routes
Strikes against Gulf countries and the wider region have left travelers stranded due to the closure of major hubs in Dubai and Qatar.
Flights around and within the region were canceled or delayed, and it was unclear when airspace over the Gulf states would reopen.
After the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important arteries of global trade between the Gulf countries and Iran, was effectively closed, world markets were shaken by conflicts and oil prices rose.
