A large 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 escalated on Sunday with new attacks on Iranian fuel facilities near Tehran and retaliatory drone and missile strikes across the Gulf, widening a conflict that has shaken regional security and sent 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, Iran’s Assembly of Experts met privately to select 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 that the war could end only when Iran’s military and ruling leadership were eliminated.
Iran rejected the comments and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the selection of a new supreme leader was strictly an internal decision. Araghchi said Iran would continue fighting until there was a permanent end to the war.
He accused the United States and Israel of attacking civilian facilities, including hospitals and schools, and dismissed Washington’s claims that Iran posed an imminent nuclear threat.
Israel expanded its bombing raids on Iran overnight, hitting major fuel storage facilities around the Iranian capital. Residents reported thick black smoke hovering over Tehran as oil tanks burned, lighting up the night sky with flames and disrupting fuel distribution in the city.
Iran condemned the attacks as a war crime. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said attacking fuel depots was releasing toxic materials into the air and endangering civilian lives.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said its forces could sustain the conflict for up to six months and warned that more advanced long-range missiles could be used in the coming days.
The fighting has increasingly spread throughout the region. Iran launched drone and missile attacks against several Gulf states, targeting energy and infrastructure facilities. In Kuwait, fuel tanks at the country’s international airport were hit by drones, sparking a fire that authorities said was later brought under control.
Kuwait’s Interior Ministry said two border guards were killed while carrying out their duties and civilian facilities were damaged by falling debris during interdiction operations. Kuwait’s national oil company announced a preventive reduction in crude oil production.
Bahrain said an Iranian drone strike damaged a desalination plant, marking the first reported attack on such a facility during the conflict. Authorities said the water supply was not interrupted, although the attack raised concerns about the vulnerability of vital infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia said a projectile hit a residential area south of Riyadh, killing two people and wounding 12 others. The Defense Ministry said it had intercepted dozens of drones aimed at targets including the capital’s diplomatic quarter.
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 attacked a hotel in central Beirut on Sunday, saying it had targeted Iranian commanders operating in the city. The attack marked the first attack on the heart of the Lebanese capital since hostilities resumed.
Elsewhere in the region, Israeli forces carried out an airstrike in Gaza City that killed at least two Palestinians traveling in a car, according to local health officials. Violence in Gaza has continued despite a ceasefire agreement reached last year.
The human cost of the broader conflict has continued to rise. Iran’s ambassador to the UN said that at least 1,332 Iranian civilians had been killed and thousands wounded in US-Israeli attacks, while Iranian attacks had killed 10 people in Israel. At least six U.S. service members also died during the conflict.
The United States has not ruled out further escalation. Reports suggested Washington was considering deploying special forces to secure Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium later in the war, although the 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 that carries about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, has disrupted shipping and sharply raised energy prices.
Crude oil prices rose above $90 a barrel within days of the escalation, and fuel costs rose in North America, Europe and Asia. The rise has caused gasoline and diesel prices to rise around the world and raised fears of a broader energy crisis.
Despite growing international concern, there is little sign 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 a resolution as the region prepares for further escalation.
