FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
How the US-Israeli war against Iran turned into a regional conflict, as Tehran retaliates with attacks across the Middle East
The US-Israeli war against Iran, which began on Saturday with bombings and missile strikes that killed Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, has spiraled into a regional conflict as Tehran retaliates with attacks across the Middle East. A new, important front opened on Monday, with Israel bombing Lebanon and advancing into its territory, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said this morning, after Iran's ally Hezbollah launched attacks.
Cyprus also reported that a drone strike targeted a British base on the Mediterranean island nation. In a sign that the conflict could draw in other countries, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, which did not support the initial US-Israeli strikes, said they were ready to work against Iranian attacks.
US and Israeli attacks
On Saturday, Israel announced the launch of Operation Lion’s Roar, which an Israeli military official said was intended to “weaken the regime’s capabilities.” The attack began in parallel with what the US called Operation Epic Wrath.
Attacks over the weekend and into Monday hit key security targets and political institutions in Tehran, including Khamenei's residence and ballistic missile depots in other parts of the country.
At least 14 cities across Iran have been hit, in what an Israeli military official described as a much broader campaign than the previous US-Israeli attack on Iran during last summer's 12-day war. Israel said it killed at least 40 senior Iranian commanders on the first day of the strikes.
A video released by the Israel Defense Forces shows an airstrike on an Iranian regime headquarters. According to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, at least 787 people have been killed in Iran so far by the US-Israeli campaign.
Nearly 165 people were killed and at least 95 wounded in an airstrike on a girls' school in Minab, in Iran's southern Hormozgan province, according to state media, in what appears to be the deadliest incident of the campaign so far. The same city is home to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps base.
Authorities in Iran have instructed citizens to leave major cities for security reasons. Many security institutions and officials are located in residential areas, which makes it possible for civilian casualties to increase.
The Iranian response
Despite the apparent loss of a significant portion of its senior military and political leadership, Iran bombed targets in the Persian Gulf, particularly in countries allied with Washington, and launched waves of ballistic missiles toward Israel.
One person was killed and dozens were injured when an Iranian missile hit Tel Aviv on Saturday evening. Eight more people were killed and 20 were injured when a rocket hit the city of Beit Shemesh on Sunday afternoon. Iran’s response greatly exceeded the unwritten “red lines” that had until now largely excluded the Gulf from previous conflicts with Israel and the US.
Iran struck targets including luxury hotels in Dubai and Bahrain, as well as airports in Dubai, Kuwait and Bahrain. Smoke rose over the Palm Jumeirah island in Dubai and photos showed damage to buildings in Bahrain.
It also hit a port facility in Oman and a ship northwest of Muscat, as the Iranian military broadcast radio warnings to ships intending to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The Ras Tanura oil refinery in Saudi Arabia was attacked by drones, while defense forces shot down approaching aircraft.
The speed with which the conflict escalated into a regional clash was staggering. On Monday, Hezbollah said it had fired rockets from Lebanon into Israel in response to Khamenei's assassination, and Israel responded with widespread strikes, killing at least 31 people and wounding 149 others, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry.
In the first attack to reach the US's European allies, a drone struck a British air base in Akrotiri, Cyprus. Two other drones were intercepted en route, the Cypriot government said. The chaos of the conflict was highlighted when Kuwait mistakenly shot down three US F-15E Strike Eagle jets. All six pilots ejected safely and are reported to be in stable condition.
Six members of the US armed forces were also killed during US military operations against Iran, US Central Command announced, without providing further details.
Flight cancellations and trade route closures
The attacks in the Gulf and the wider region also caused chaos in air travel, stranding travelers as major transit hubs in Dubai and Qatar were closed. Flights around and through the region were canceled or delayed, and it remains unclear when airspace over the Gulf will reopen.
Global markets were rocked by the clashes and oil prices rose sharply after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important arteries of world trade connecting the Gulf states with Iran. / Pamphlet /
Lini një Përgjigje