Iran targets Gulf States as US warns its campaign will intensify

Iran Launches Strikes on Gulf States as Conflict with Israel, U.S. Intensifies

Intense Iranian fire targeted several Gulf Arab states early Saturday as Israel and the United States continued their airstrikes on the Islamic Republic, signaling a dangerous expansion of the conflict across the Middle East.

The U.S. administration approved a new $151 million arms sale to Israel as President Donald Trump declared he would not negotiate with Iran without its “unconditional surrender.” U.S. officials warned of an impending bombing campaign they described as the most intense yet in the weeklong conflict.

Iran’s UN ambassador responded defiantly, stating the country would “take all necessary measures” to defend itself. Meanwhile, explosions flashed and smoke rose over western Tehran as Israel launched what it called a broad wave of strikes. Across Israel, loud booms sounded as incoming Iranian missiles forced people into bomb shelters.

The conflict showed troubling signs of regional spread when sirens sounded in Bahrain as Iranian attacks targeted the island kingdom. Saudi Arabia reported intercepting drones headed toward its vast Shaybah oil field and shooting down a ballistic missile aimed at Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts U.S. forces.

In Dubai, several explosions were heard Saturday morning as the government activated air defenses. Passengers at Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, were evacuated to train tunnels beneath the sprawling airfield after alerts sounded.

The economic implications of the escalating conflict are becoming increasingly apparent. Qatar’s energy minister, Saad al-Kaabi, warned in a Financial Times interview that the war could “bring down the economies of the world,” predicting widespread disruption of Gulf energy exports that could send oil to $150 a barrel. The price for benchmark U.S. crude already surpassed $90 on Friday, reaching its highest level in more than two years.

Regional analysts have suggested Iran may be making a strategic miscalculation by expanding the conflict. Sultan al-Khulaifi, a senior researcher at the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, wrote for Al Jazeera that “by spreading the conflict to the Gulf, Tehran is doing precisely what Israel could not do alone: steering the war away from the Israeli-Iranian axis and transforming it into a confrontation between Iran and its Arab neighbors.”

Adding to the complexity, U.S. intelligence sources revealed that Russia has provided Iran with information potentially useful for striking American warships, aircraft, and assets in the region. Though officials cautioned that there’s no evidence Moscow is directing Tehran’s actions, this marks the first indication of Russian involvement in the conflict.

The U.S. stance on the endgame remains ambiguous. Trump’s social media declaration that “There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” followed by promises to help rebuild Iran after “the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s)” raises questions about American objectives. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian indicated that “some countries” had begun mediation efforts, without elaborating.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned in a television interview that the “biggest bombing campaign” of the war was still to come. Israel has reported extensively bombing underground bunkers that Iranian leaders had allegedly planned to use during hostilities.

The human toll continues to mount, with at least 1,230 people killed in Iran, more than 200 in Lebanon, around a dozen in Israel, and six U.S. troops, according to officials in those countries.

The conflict has also intensified in Lebanon, where Hezbollah reported clashes with Israeli forces in the eastern mountains. Israel has conducted massive airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold that is also home to hundreds of thousands of civilians. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported at least 217 people killed by Israeli strikes since Monday and 798 wounded.

As smoke rose over Beirut’s southern districts, roads in the Lebanese capital were congested with evacuees. Two hospitals evacuated patients and staff amid the deteriorating situation. One displaced resident, Jihan Shehadeh, lamented, “What can we do? We prayed here under the tree. During the night, we slept in the car because there is no place to stay.”

With no immediate resolution in sight, the Middle East appears poised for further escalation in what has rapidly evolved into a multilateral conflict with profound regional and global implications.