By Our Reporter, With Agency Reports
THE MIDDLE East has been catapulted into a major new conflict Saturday as the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iranian leadership and nuclear sites, triggering a massive retaliatory missile barrage from Tehran against American military assets across the Gulf region.
The dramatic escalation, which unfolded in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, has shattered any remaining hopes for a diplomatic resolution to Tehran’s nuclear dispute with the West and threatens to ignite a wider conflagration drawing in Gulf Arab states and global powers.
U.S.-Israeli Strikes Target Leadership
In the early hours of Saturday, joint U.S. and Israeli forces carried out strikes on Tehran and several other Iranian cities.
An Israeli official confirmed to Reuters that the operation specifically targeted Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and President Masoud Pezeshkian. The outcome of those strikes remained unclear.
A source with knowledge of the matter revealed that Khamenei was not in Tehran at the time and had been moved to a secure location.
An Iranian source close to the establishment told Reuters that several senior commanders in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and political officials were killed in the initial attack.
The strikes came just two days after the conclusion of a third round of indirect nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran in Geneva, which reportedly ended without progress.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the move was intended to eliminate Iran’s nuclear program and give Iranians a chance to topple their rulers.
The human cost of the initial assault became a central point of contention. Iranian state media reported that an Israeli strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ primary school in the city of Minab in southern Iran killed at least 40 students.
The death toll, confirmed by the provincial governor, rose throughout the day, drawing international condemnation. The school is located in an area where the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has a base.
Iran’s ‘Crushing Response’
In a swift and forceful response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the launch of “Operation True Promise 4,” a large-scale missile and drone attack against Israeli and U.S. positions.
“All occupied territories and the criminal U.S. bases in the region have been struck by the powerful blows of Iranian missiles,” the IRGC said in a statement. “This operation will continue relentlessly until the enemy is decisively defeated”.
Explosions and air defence activity were reported across the Gulf. Key U.S. military installations were named as primary targets, including the Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the Al-Dhafra Air Base in the UAE, the Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait, and the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.
Several Gulf Arab states confirmed they were targeted.
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), state media confirmed that one person was killed in Abu Dhabi after debris from intercepted missiles fell on a residential area. The UAE’s foreign ministry condemned the attacks as a “flagrant violation of national sovereignty and international law” and warned of “consequences” if such actions continue. It stated it “reserves its right to defend itself and protect its security”.
In Bahrain, the kingdom confirmed that a service centre of the U.S. Fifth Fleet had been struck in what it called a “treacherous” attack.
Both Qatar and Kuwait reported that their military forces had intercepted incoming Iranian missiles. Qatar confirmed it repelled a series of attacks and that the situation was under control. Loud explosions were heard in Doha and Abu Dhabi in multiple waves throughout the day.
Saudi Arabia, while not confirming a direct strike on its soil, state media and AFP reported explosions were heard in the capital Riyadh.
The Saudi foreign ministry issued a statement expressing “full solidarity” with the targeted Gulf nations and condemned the attacks on their sovereignty.
Jordan also reported that its armed forces had intercepted two ballistic missiles aimed at its territory.
Global Calls for Restraint as Allies Mobilise
The international community reacted with alarm, urging de-escalation even as alliances were tested.
Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, were reportedly monitoring the U.S. operation from President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
European leaders expressed deep concern but stopped short of endorsing the military action.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez explicitly rejected the “unilateral military action carried out by the United States and Israel,” calling it an escalation that “deepens instability in the region.”
In a post on X, he demanded “immediate de-escalation and full respect for international law”.
Britain stated it had not taken part in the strikes and that Iran “must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon,” while emphasising it stood ready to defend its interests, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer convening an emergency COBRA meeting.
French President Emmanuel Macron called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council, saying the outbreak of a war between the United States, Israel and Iran has “serious consequences” for international peace and security.
“The current escalation is dangerous for everyone. It must stop. The Iranian regime must understand that it now has no other option but to engage in good-faith negotiations to end its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as well as its actions to destabilize the region,” Macron said on X.
He also said the Iranian people must be able to freely build their future. “The massacres committed by the Islamic regime disqualify it and demand that the voice be returned to the people,” he said, referring to a recent wave of protests that were brutally put down by the authorities.
“The sooner, the better,” Macron said.
Germany confirmed it had been informed of the strikes in advance by Israel, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz closely monitoring the situation.
EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, described the developments as “perilous,” stating she was in close coordination with Arab partners to explore diplomatic paths.
Further afield, Australia expressed support for the U.S. action to prevent nuclear proliferation, while Malaysia warned the region was “on the edge of catastrophe.”
Switzerland urged “maximum restraint” and the protection of civilians.
A Region on Edge
The conflict has paralysed normal life and travel in the region. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council advised citizens to move to safe cities if possible and announced the closure of schools and universities nationwide.
Several Gulf Arab states, including the UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait, closed their airspace, forcing global airlines to cancel or re-route flights across the Middle East.
The timing of the attack added a layer of religious and historical sensitivity. The U.S.-Israeli strikes on Muslim-majority Iran came during Ramadan, while the Jewish holiday of Purim, which commemorates the salvation of Jews from annihilation in ancient Persia, begins on Monday.
With both sides demonstrating their willingness and capacity to strike at the heart of each other’s territory and that of their allies, the volatile situation threatens to spiral into a prolonged and devastating war, dimming the prospects for peace in the region for the foreseeable future.
