The Middle East conflict has entered its fifth day after US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which killed the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf. These strikes have expanded to civilian targets, including energy facilities, and have drawn in Cyprus and Lebanon, with mounting casualties and damage.
On 28 February, the US and Israel launched widespread attacks on Iran, targeting missile infrastructure, military sites, and senior leaders across Tehran and other areas. Israel reported dozens of high-ranking officials in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were also killed. Israel claimed the strikes included a covert nuclear site, while Iran maintains its nuclear program is entirely peaceful.
The death toll in Iran has reached 787, according to the Iranian Red Crescent, while the US-based HRANA reports 1,097 civilian deaths, including 181 children. Iran accused the US and Israel of killing more than 160 people at a girls’ school near an IRGC base in southern Iran, an incident under investigation by the US. Israel stated it was unaware of any military operations at that location.
Iran has condemned the strikes as “unprovoked, illegal, and illegitimate” and responded with missile and drone attacks on US and Israeli interests. The IRGC has targeted Israeli military and government sites in Tel Aviv and other locations.
US bases and allied states in the region, including Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, UAE, Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, have been hit. Drones struck the US embassy in Riyadh and a car park next to the US consulate in Dubai. Iran has reportedly widened attacks to include civilian infrastructure, shipping, and hotels in Dubai.
Internet access in Iran is nearly blocked, and its airspace is closed. The conflict shows no signs of slowing, and regional tensions continue to escalate.
