Following the joint US-Israeli military strikes on Iran last week, the Middle East has entered a period of deep instability and rapid escalation.
The “decapitation” strikes, which killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior officials, prompted an immediate and geographically widespread retaliation from Tehran under “Operation True Promise IV”.
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Iran has launched ballistic missiles and drones not only at Israel, but also at US military installations in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
This escalation of the conflict led to the immediate closure of regional airspace and a dramatic increase in global energy prices, especially after Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and Qatar suspended LNG production.
The US and Israel may have said the action was aimed at regime change, but the region remains on the brink of a wider war as Iran’s remaining leadership created an interim council to manage the crisis and vowed a “war of attrition” against those assisting the offensive.
Regional governments have urged citizens to take the nearest available commercial flight as Gulf airspace is largely closed, cruise ships cannot pass through the Strait of Hormuz and major airlines are canceling flights.
The US State Department said it had evacuated personnel and families in six countries, adding the United Arab Emirates to its list on Tuesday. It also advised citizens from 14 countries to leave. Governments from Russia to Germany and France also sought to operate repatriation flights.
The latest development in the region is the UAE is reportedly considering the possibility launching military strikes against Iranian missiles and drone launch sites following sustained attacks on its territory, according to two sources familiar with the discussions cited Axiowith.
Here’s the country-by-country impact of the war as reported by the Associated Press and other news agencies, based on ground reports and real-time flight tracking service Flightradar 24 as of Tuesday.
Iran – the core of the attacks
Iran suffered the most damage and casualties in the region after the US and Israel launched joint attacks on the country. Iran’s Red Crescent Society said the US-Israel operation killed at least 787 people. That includes more than 160, state news agency IRNA says, who were killed in the strike at a primary school in Minab.
Israel says it was not involved in the incident at the school. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he did not have specifics but that the US would not intentionally target the school.
In Iran, the attacks targeted nuclear infrastructure, missile launchers, government buildings in Tehran and leadership buildings, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other top military officials.
Satellite images of Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility taken on Monday show several damaged buildings compared to images from the previous day, along with additional damage throughout the facility complex.
Iran’s airspace is completely closed as it bears the brunt of the ongoing escalation in the region.
Israel
Iran retaliated against the joint attacks by hitting many areas in Israel with missiles, killing 11 people, according to an AP report. The extent of damage to Israeli military bases and other sensitive locations is unknown; the military does not release this information. The country’s airspace remains closed to commercial flights.
Lebanon
Iran-backed Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel on Monday, prompting Israel to retaliate. At least 52 people were killed and 154 injured, the AP quoted Lebanese authorities as saying.
Israel hit Beirut with more airstrikes on Tuesday, saying it was targeting “Hezbollah command centers and weapons depots” and sent ground troops to border areas in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah also said it had launched drones targeting an Israeli air base. The Israeli military said it shot down two drones.
Israel and Hezbollah fought a war for more than a year that ended with a November 2024 ceasefire that left the militant group greatly weakened.
The U.S. Embassy in Lebanon announced Tuesday that it is closed to the public until further notice. Flights come and go, but many airlines have canceled flights in the country.
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait
Iran attacked the US embassy in the Saudi capital early on Tuesday. The attack by two drones on the US embassy in Riyadh caused “limited fire” and minor damage, according to the Saudi defense ministry, and the embassy urged Americans to avoid the compound.
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Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura oil refinery was also targeted by a drone attack, but its defenses shot down the aircraft, an army spokesman told the state-run Saudi Press Agency. The refinery has a capacity of over 500,000 barrels of oil per day.
Saudi Arabian airspace remains partially closed in areas bordering Iraq and the Persian Gulf.
On Monday, there was an attack on the building of the American embassy in Kuwait. A day later, it announced that it was closed to the public until further notice.
According to a US official quoted by the AP agency, six US soldiers in a logistics unit were killed in the strike in Kuwait. Kuwait’s health ministry said on Sunday that one person had died and 32 were injured in the Iranian attack. The airspace in Kuwait also remains closed.
United Arab Emirates
Three people died in the UAE. Dubai also suffered damage to its international airport. According to CENTCOM, hotels along its coast. Iran also targeted two Amazon data centers in the United Arab Emirates, the company said on Tuesday.
The airspace was closed to commercial flights, but some evacuation flights began operating on Monday.
Jordan and Oman
Jordan said on Sunday that five people were injured by falling shrapnel after Iranian missiles were intercepted in the kingdom’s airspace. Jordan’s Civil Aviation Authority said the airspace will be closed daily from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. until further notice.
Oman has faced drone attacks several times since the start of the Iran war. The attacks targeted the country’s largest port, Salalah, as well as the port of Duqm. At least one vessel was also hit off the country’s coast. The airspace remains open, but many commercial flights are canceled.
Qatar and Iraq
Iran hit energy facilities in Qatar. The country’s airspace remains closed.
Several drone and missile attacks were launched on US bases and the consulate in Irbil, and protesters attempted to storm the US embassy in Baghdad.
Iraq’s oil ministry announced on Tuesday it would halt production at a key oil field due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, sending oil prices soaring worldwide. The ministry cited a shortage of tankers entering the Persian Gulf, forcing them to “stop production and pumping” from the southern Rumaila fields near the city of Basra. The airspace remains closed.
Bahrain and Syria
A strike fire killed one Asian worker and seriously injured two others in Bahrain early Monday. There was also a drone crash near an Amazon data center, the company said Tuesday. The airspace remains closed
The region remains on the brink of a wider war as Iran’s remaining leadership has vowed a “war of attrition”.
Several people, including children, suffered minor injuries from fragments of Iranian missiles in the countryside outside Damascus, Syrian state news agency SANA reported. Some areas in Syria’s southern provinces also saw debris fall from Iranian missiles fired at Israel, without causing any further injuries or material damage, SANA said. The airspace remains closed.
(With input from the Associated Press)
