A surge of attacks across the Middle East intensified Tuesday after Iran struck the U.S. Embassy compound in Riyadh with two drones and U.S. and Israeli forces launched airstrikes on Iranian territory. President Donald Trump called the operations the start of a sustained campaign that could last weeks and said the U.S. was prepared to extend that timeline if necessary.
Saudi authorities reported the two drones caused a “limited fire” and minor damage at the Riyadh embassy; officials urged Americans to avoid the compound. The strike followed an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait, which closed its mission temporarily. As a precaution, the U.S. State Department ordered non-emergency personnel and families to leave Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
Explosions were heard across Tehran overnight and aircraft were reported overhead, though specific targets were not immediately confirmed. The International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment site sustained “some recent damage” but that no radiological consequences were expected. Natanz had previously been struck during earlier fighting in June.
Israel expanded strikes as well, hitting Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon; explosions and smoke were reported in a Beirut suburb and Lebanon’s army began evacuating some border posts. Analysts warned the conflict was widening and could become prolonged — a situation made graver, they said, by reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed and by an apparent lack of a clear exit strategy.
Iran has retaliated across several countries and targets it views as safe havens. Attacks included strikes on two Amazon data centers in the UAE and damage near another in Bahrain, according to Amazon. Iran also struck energy facilities in Qatar and Saudi Arabia and attacked multiple ships in the Strait of Hormuz, driving up global oil and gas prices. A Revolutionary Guard adviser declared “The Strait of Hormuz is closed,” warning ships not to enter.
The U.S. State Department advised Americans to leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries amid safety concerns, but closed airspace and other disruptions have left many travelers stranded. President Trump said operations would likely continue four to five weeks but that he was prepared “to go far longer than that,” asserting the U.S. had abundant munitions and pre-positioned weaponry.
Casualty figures are high and spread across the region. The Iranian Red Crescent Society reported at least 787 killed in what it described as the U.S.-Israeli operation. Iran’s Tasnim news agency said airstrikes killed 13 Iranian troops in Kerman province. Israel reported 11 deaths after Iranian missile strikes inside its territory. Lebanese authorities reported 52 killed and 154 wounded in strikes on Hezbollah positions. The U.S. military confirmed six American service members killed — all soldiers in a logistics unit in Kuwait — and reported that Kuwait “mistakenly shot down” three U.S. fighter jets during an attack; all six pilots ejected safely. Additional deaths were reported in the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain.
Iranian state TV said two explosions occurred at a Tehran broadcasting facility with no injuries. Iran’s IAEA envoy said airstrikes had hit Natanz and reiterated Tehran’s position that its nuclear program is peaceful and that it had not enriched uranium since June. Israel and the U.S. have not publicly acknowledged strikes at Natanz; Israel has said its targets include Iranian leadership and nuclear infrastructure.
President Trump outlined campaign objectives as destroying Iran’s missile capabilities, crippling its navy, preventing nuclear weapons development and halting support to allied militias such as Hezbollah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran of rebuilding underground nuclear sites but provided no public evidence.
Satellite imagery analysts reported limited activity at two Iranian nuclear sites before the latest fighting, suggesting Tehran may be assessing damage and attempting salvage operations from prior strikes.
Proxy forces have been drawn in across the region. Hezbollah launched missiles at Israel, prompting reprisals; the group said it sent drones at an Israeli air base, which Israel said it shot down. An Iranian-linked militia in Iraq claimed attacks on U.S. facilities there. Israel said its troops in southern Lebanon were on “forward defense” and were not planning civilian evacuations along the border.
Humanitarian and migration officials warned of worsening civilian suffering and displacement if the military escalation continues. “Military escalation would force more families from their homes and hit civilians hard,” Amy Pope, director general of the International Organization for Migration, said, urging international de-escalation as millions are already displaced.
Reporting contributions came from Bangkok, Tel Aviv, Seattle, Miami, Athens and Cairo.
