A huge fire breaks out at an oil depot following an Israeli airstrike in Tehran. Photo: AFP
DUBAI:
The war between Israel, the United States and Iran intensified on Sunday with new strikes on Iranian oil facilities near Tehran and retaliatory drone and missile attacks in the Gulf, widening a conflict that has shaken regional security and thrown global energy markets into turmoil.
As the conflict entered its second week amid uncertainty over Iran’s leadership following the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Assembly of Iranian Experts met privately to choose a successor, with Iranian media suggesting that Khamenei’s son Mojtaba was a leading contender.
US President Donald Trump said Iran’s next leader would not last long without US approval and warned the war could only end when Iran’s military and leaders were eliminated.
Iran rejected the remarks, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying the choice of a new supreme leader was a strictly national decision. Araghchi said Iran would continue to fight until there was a definitive end to the war.
He accused the United States and Israel of targeting civilian facilities, including hospitals and schools, and rejected Washington’s claims that Iran posed an imminent nuclear threat.
Israel expanded its bombing of Iran overnight, hitting major fuel storage facilities around the Iranian capital. Residents reported thick black smoke hovering over Tehran as oil depots burned, lighting up the night sky with flames and disrupting fuel distribution in the city.
Iran has condemned the strikes as a war crime. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said targeting fuel depots released toxic materials into the air and endangered civilian lives.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said their forces could sustain the conflict for six months and warned that more advanced long-range missiles could be used in the coming days.
The fighting is increasingly spreading across the entire region. Iran has launched drone and missile attacks against several Gulf states, targeting energy facilities and infrastructure. In Kuwait, fuel tanks at the country’s international airport were hit by drones, causing a fire that authorities said was later brought under control.
The Kuwaiti Interior Ministry said two border guards were killed in the line of duty and civilian facilities were damaged by falling debris during the interception operations. Kuwait’s national oil company has announced a precautionary reduction in its crude oil production.
Bahrain said an Iranian drone attack damaged a desalination plant, marking the first reported strike against such a facility during the conflict. Officials said the water supply had not been interrupted, although the attack had raised concerns about the vulnerability of vital infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia said a projectile hit a residential area south of Riyadh, killing two people and injuring 12 others. The Ministry of Defense said it had intercepted dozens of drones, particularly targeting the diplomatic district of the capital.
The United Arab Emirates said its air defense systems intercepted 16 ballistic missiles and more than 100 drones aimed at the country, although several drones managed to hit its territory. The United Arab Emirates said four migrant workers had been killed in Iranian attacks since the conflict began.
The war has also spread to Lebanon, where Israel launched airstrikes after the Iran-backed Hezbollah group fired rockets and drones into Israeli territory. Lebanese health authorities said nearly 400 people had been killed in Israeli strikes over the past week.
Israel struck a hotel in central Beirut on Sunday, saying it had targeted Iranian commanders operating in the city. This is the first strike in the heart of the Lebanese capital since the resumption of hostilities.
Elsewhere in the region, Israeli forces carried out an airstrike in Gaza City that killed at least two Palestinians traveling in cars, according to local health authorities. Violence in Gaza has continued despite a ceasefire agreement reached last year.
The human toll of the conflict as a whole continues to rise. Iran’s U.N. ambassador said at least 1,332 Iranian civilians were killed and thousands more injured in U.S.-Israeli attacks, while Iranian strikes killed 10 people in Israel. At least six American service members were also killed during the conflict.
The United States does not rule out a further escalation. Reports suggest that Washington was considering deploying special forces to secure Iran’s stockpiles of highly enriched uranium later in the war, although this plan has not been confirmed.
Analysts say the conflict has already begun to reshape the global economy. Fighting near the Strait of Hormuz – a critical route for transporting about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas – has disrupted shipping and sent energy prices soaring.
Crude prices soared above $90 a barrel within days of the surge, with fuel prices rising in North America, Europe and Asia. The rise triggered a rise in gasoline and diesel prices around the world and increased fears of a broader energy crisis.
Despite growing international concern, there are few signs of a diplomatic breakthrough. World leaders including China and the Vatican have called for dialogue and restraint, but the conflict shows no immediate path to resolution as the region braces for further escalation.
