An escalating US-Israeli air campaign against Iran widened on Monday, pulling Lebanon into the fighting and producing strikes across the Gulf and beyond. Israel responded to Hezbollah attacks, while Iran fired missiles and drones at Israeli targets, Gulf states and a British air base in Cyprus.
Lebanese state news agency NNA reported at least 31 people killed and 149 wounded in Israeli strikes. Israel identified Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qassem as a “target for elimination,” but said it was not planning a ground invasion of Lebanon at this stage. Authorities ordered residents in dozens of Lebanese towns to evacuate to at least 1 km from town centres amid expanded operations.
The US military said Kuwaiti air defences mistakenly shot down three US F-15E Strike Eagles during an Iranian attack; all six crew members ejected safely, were recovered and are in stable condition, Central Command said. Kuwait acknowledged the incident.
The fighting followed a weekend of heavy strikes that some reports claimed further intensified the regional war and disrupted Gulf shipping. Energy markets reacted sharply: oil prices jumped about 7%, with West Texas Intermediate trading around USD 72 per barrel early Monday, up from about USD 67 on Friday, as traders weighed the risk to Gulf supply.
Iranian missiles and drones struck or threatened US allies in the Gulf. Smoke was seen over the US embassy in Kuwait amid a heavy security and emergency response. Explosions were reported in Dubai and Samha in the UAE and in Doha, Qatar. Saudi Arabia shut its largest domestic refinery, Ras Tanura, after a drone strike started a fire; other oil and gas facilities in the region also paused operations as a precaution. In the first strike to reach US allies in Europe, a drone hit RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus; the UK Ministry of Defence reported minimal damage and no casualties.
Casualties and military tolls reported by official sources and agencies included:
– US forces: The US military said three American service members were killed and five seriously wounded during US operations against Iran; a fourth service member later died of wounds sustained during Iran’s initial attacks. Central Command confirmed the six crew from the downed F-15Es were recovered.
– Kuwait: Kuwait’s Defence Ministry reported several US warplanes crashed in the country but said all pilots survived and were hospitalized for checks.
– Iran: The Iranian Red Crescent reported heavy casualties inside Iran, saying at least 555 people had been killed and 131 cities struck; this figure represents Iranian domestic reporting and has not been independently verified.
– Maritime: At least three tankers were damaged in the Gulf and one seafarer was killed after a vessel was struck near Oman as Iranian retaliation affected commercial shipping.
Other incidents and claims included an allegation from Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA that the Natanz enrichment facility had been targeted; neither the US nor Israel confirmed attacks at Natanz. Iraqi militia Saraya Awliya al-Dam claimed a drone attack on US forces at Baghdad airport. Kuwaiti forces reported intercepting hostile drones on the third consecutive day of Iranian retaliatory strikes, with no reported injuries after air defences engaged threats near populated areas.
International reactions and diplomatic moves:
– India: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke by phone with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
– Russia: President Vladimir Putin told UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed he would convey complaints about Iranian strikes to Tehran, stressing the UAE had not been used as a base to attack Iran and calling strikes on UAE territory unjustified.
– UK: Prime Minister Keir Starmer authorized limited defensive use of British bases to protect UK lives and interests; the MOD reported minimal damage at RAF Akrotiri from a suspected Iranian one-way drone.
– IAEA: The UN nuclear watchdog said it had no indication any Iranian nuclear installations had been hit but that it had been unable to reach Iranian nuclear authorities.
World leaders engaged in calls and statements expressing concern and seeking to contain the escalation. The situation remained fluid, with continued strikes, air-defence engagements and regional military movements raising the prospect of further escalation. Reporting combined agency briefings and official statements.
