Iranian missiles target Israel, prompting mass sheltering, as US Senate blocks a motion to halt the American air campaign, widening the regional conflict.
DUBAI: Israel launched large-scale strikes on Tehran, targeting Iranian infrastructure. This came after Iranian missiles earlier sent millions of Israelis rushing into bomb shelters.
The conflict has now widened beyond the Gulf, convulsing global markets and disrupting shipping and air travel. Iran’s foreign minister labelled the sinking of an Iranian frigate by US forces an “atrocity at sea”.
He warned Washington would “bitterly regret” the action. A Revolutionary Guards commander stated, “We have decided to fight Americans wherever they are.”
The Guards later claimed to have hit a US tanker in the Gulf. They asserted control over passage through the vital Strait of Hormuz during wartime.
Turkey reported NATO air defences destroyed an Iranian ballistic missile fired towards its territory. This marked the first direct involvement of the NATO member bordering Asia.
Iran’s armed forces denied firing missiles at Turkey, expressing respect for its sovereignty. In Washington, Republican senators blocked a motion to stop the US air campaign against Iran.
The rejection leaves President Donald Trump’s war powers largely unbound. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth assured Israeli counterpart Israel Katz of continued support.
Repeated strikes on Tehran forced the postponement of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has emerged as a frontrunner to succeed him.
Asian shares rallied on hopes the war might end soon. This followed a report of early Iranian contact with the CIA about a path to peace.
An Iranian intelligence source rejected the report as “absolute lies”. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the war was testing “global economic resilience”.
She warned a prolonged conflict could affect energy prices, growth, and inflation globally. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remained paralysed, choking oil and gas flows.
At least 200 vessels were anchored off the coast. Governments organised repatriation flights for tens of thousands of stranded citizens.
Commercial air traffic across the region remained severely disrupted. Major hubs like Dubai faced widespread flight cancellations.
