Regional war widens as Iran launches strikes across Gulf states

The war involving Iran, Israel and the United States continued to spread across the Middle East, with Iranian attacks reported in Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

One person was killed in Bahrain’s capital, Manama, while two others died in central Israel following Iranian missile strikes.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said its missile programme remains operational, rejecting US claims that Iranian missile capabilities have been destroyed. The IRGC said it is deploying missiles in greater numbers and with warheads weighing more than one tonne.

The escalation comes amid heavy bombardment in Tehran, where at least 40 people were killed overnight near Risalat Square during some of the most intense strikes of the war.

At the same time, Israel and Hezbollah continued cross-border exchanges of fire. Lebanese officials say Israeli attacks have killed at least 486 people and injured over 1,300 since the fighting intensified earlier this month.