The United States has warned that its military campaign against Iran will intensify, even as American diplomatic and military sites across the Middle East come under attack and Israel expands parallel operations against Iranian and Hezbollah targets.
Overnight, the US military said it had destroyed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) command and control facilities, air defence systems, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields. Operations have now entered a fourth consecutive day.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned that the “hardest hits” on Iran are yet to come, signalling further escalation.
Embassy Hit, Bases Targeted
In Saudi Arabia, authorities confirmed that two drones struck the US embassy compound in Riyadh, causing a limited fire and minor material damage. No injuries were reported. The Saudi defence ministry later said it had intercepted and destroyed eight drones near Riyadh and Al-Kharj.
Meanwhile, police sources told Reuters that a drone targeted a US military base near Erbil Airport in northern Iraq. Separately, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for a missile and drone attack on a US air base in Bahrain. Washington has not formally confirmed those incidents, but the State Department has ordered American citizens to leave Bahrain and several other Middle Eastern countries immediately.
Israel Expands Strikes
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had begun a “wide wave of strikes” targeting both Tehran and Beirut, hitting what it described as Iranian regime and Hezbollah positions.
Evacuation orders were issued for around 50 villages in southern Lebanon, as well as areas of Beirut’s southern suburbs. Residents were told to leave immediately and avoid buildings affiliated with Hezbollah. Smoke was seen rising over parts of the Lebanese capital as strikes continued.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the joint US-Israeli campaign would not become “an endless war”, describing it instead as “quick and decisive action”. In an interview with Fox News, he argued that failure to act now would have allowed Iran to threaten or “blackmail” both Israel and the United States. He reiterated his goal of achieving “peace through strength”.
Washington Signals Endurance
In Washington, President Donald Trump struck a defiant tone, asserting that US stockpiles of medium- and upper-medium-grade munitions were at historic highs. He claimed the United States had a virtually unlimited supply of such weapons and suggested wars could be fought “forever” using existing inventories.
The remarks underscore a widening and increasingly complex confrontation stretching from Iran to Lebanon, Iraq, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. With American assets now directly targeted and evacuation orders spreading across the region, diplomatic efforts appear eclipsed by rapid military escalation — and both sides signalling readiness for sustained engagement.
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