Trump threatens Iran following new wave of attacks on Gulf states and Israel

A powerful explosion rocked Tehran’s Ferdowsi Square on Friday, striking an area filled with demonstrators participating in annual Quds Day rallies in support of Palestinians. The blast occurred just down Enghelab Street from Tehran University, which serves as the epicenter of these demonstrations.

The cause of the explosion remains unclear. Shortly before the incident, Israel had issued warnings that it might strike in the area. Despite the attack and intense airstrikes that began landing around Tehran just before the rallies were scheduled to commence, thousands of protesters still gathered in the streets, chanting anti-Israel and anti-American slogans.

The explosion comes amid escalating tensions between Iran and its adversaries. Earlier Friday, Iran launched multiple attacks on Gulf Arab states, including dozens of drones targeting Saudi Arabia, following warnings from newly appointed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei about countries hosting American military bases.

In response to Iran’s actions, U.S. President Donald Trump issued stark threats on his Truth Social platform, writing: “Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today. Iran’s Navy is gone, their Air Force is no longer, missiles, drones and everything else are being decimated, and their leaders have been wiped from the face of the earth.”

The day before the explosion, Khamenei had vowed to “not refrain from avenging the blood” of Iranians killed in the conflict and warned Gulf Arab nations to shut down U.S. military bases, dismissing American protection as “nothing more than a lie.”

The ongoing hostilities have severely disrupted global energy markets. Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, remains above $100 per barrel as Iran maintains its stranglehold on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. This strategic waterway, through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil transits, has become a flashpoint in the conflict. Prices have spiked as high as $120 per barrel – roughly 40% higher than before the conflict began on February 28 when Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran.

The violence has spread throughout the region. In Iraq, U.S. Central Command reported that recovery efforts were underway after an American KC-135 refueling plane crashed with five crew members onboard. The command clarified that the crash was not related to hostile or friendly fire. This marks the fourth publicly acknowledged aircraft crash in the U.S. military’s operations against Iran, following three American fighter jets that were mistakenly downed by Kuwaiti fire last week.

In a separate incident, a French soldier stationed in northern Iraq was killed in an attack, according to French President Emmanuel Macron. France had earlier reported that six soldiers were injured in a drone strike in Irbil, where French troops support Iraqi forces fighting Islamic State militants.

Iran’s attacks on Gulf nations intensified Friday, with Saudi Arabia reporting that it had intercepted nearly 50 drones sent in multiple waves. In Oman, two people were killed when drones crashed in an industrial area in Sohar. Sirens sounded in Bahrain warning of incoming fire, while black smoke was seen billowing from an industrial area in Dubai after debris from an interception sparked a blaze.

The Dubai International Financial Center, an economic free zone housing banks and wealth managers, sustained damage from interception debris. Iran had previously threatened to target financial institutions following an airstrike on a bank in Tehran.

The conflict has taken a devastating toll. Iranian authorities report more than 1,300 fatalities, while Israel has confirmed 12 deaths. The United States has lost at least seven soldiers, with another eight suffering severe injuries. In Lebanon, where fighting continues between Israel and Hezbollah, more than 600 people have been killed since hostilities began, and nearly 800,000 have been internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.

As the conflict intensifies, Israel claims to have conducted more than 200 strikes on Iranian targets in the past 24 hours, including missile launchers, defense systems, and weapons production sites. The U.S. military reports striking over 6,000 targets since operations against Iran began, including more than 30 minelaying vessels.

With no diplomatic resolution in sight, the region remains braced for further escalation in what has become one of the most significant Middle Eastern conflicts in recent years.