Fresh airstrikes and explosions were reported across Iran and several Gulf countries on Friday as the ongoing war between Israel and Iran intensified, raising fears of a wider regional conflict and severe global economic disruption.
The war began on February 28 following joint military attacks by United States and Israel on Iranian targets. Since then, hostilities have rapidly expanded across the Middle East, drawing in global powers and triggering a major shock to the global oil market.
Journalists from Agence France-Presse reported unusually powerful explosions in Tehran on Friday morning. According to the Israeli military, more than 200 targets in western and central Iran were struck within the past 24 hours.
Residents described devastating scenes across several Iranian cities, with infrastructure destroyed and basic supplies becoming scarce.
A resident of Kermanshah said many people were rushing to withdraw savings from banks amid growing fears over the country’s economic stability.
“Bread is now rationed, and people are extremely tense,” the resident told AFP anonymously.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that about 3.2 million people have been displaced within Iran since the conflict began.
Iran’s health ministry earlier reported that more than 1,200 people had been killed in the fighting, although the figures have not been independently verified.
Protests And Regional Attacks
Crowds gathered in Tehran and other cities to mark Quds Day, the last Friday of Ramadan, expressing support for the Palestinian cause.
Demonstrators carried Iranian flags and banners with slogans directed against the United States and Israel.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that any anti-government protests inside Iran would face a harsher response than earlier demonstrations earlier this year.
Iran has also launched waves of drone and missile strikes targeting countries hosting U.S. military bases across the region.
In Saudi Arabia, the defence ministry said its forces intercepted multiple drones, including one aimed at the diplomatic district of the capital Riyadh.
Explosions were also reported near the skyline of Dubai, once considered one of the safest locations in the region.
In Oman, authorities confirmed that two people were killed after drone debris fell in a residential area.
Sirens also sounded at Incirlik Air Base, a major NATO facility that hosts U.S. troops.
War Spreads To Iraq And Israel
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the death of the country’s first soldier in the conflict following an attack in Erbil, where French forces were participating in counter-terrorism training with Iraqi troops.
Elsewhere in Iraq, a U.S. military refuelling aircraft crashed. The U.S. military said the crash was not caused by hostile action, though Iranian authorities claimed an allied militia had shot down the aircraft.
In Israel, a missile strike on the town of Zarzir injured around 60 people, leaving several vehicles destroyed and craters visible in residential areas.
The conflict has also heavily affected Lebanon, where authorities say 687 people have been killed by Israeli attacks.
A strike on Beirut on Thursday killed at least 12 people, many of whom were displaced families sheltering near the seafront.
Oil Prices Surge As Strait Of Hormuz Threatened
Global oil prices remained above $100 per barrel after Iran’s leadership threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who reportedly survived the strike that killed his father Ali Khamenei, vowed retaliation and hinted at using the closure of the strait as leverage.
The International Energy Agency warned that the war could trigger the largest disruption in global oil supply in history.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump defended the military campaign, saying the goal was to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
Analysts warn the ongoing conflict could lead to prolonged economic instability, with rising oil prices, higher interest rates and continued pressure on global stock markets.
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