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Iran-Israel War: Strikes Spread Across Region, Gulf States Intercept Drones | Latest Developments
Iran-Israel conflict is rapidly expanding across Middle East, with fresh Israeli strikes in Tehran and attack on Beirut hotel targeting Iranian commanders. Iran says it can sustain war for 6 months, while drone and missile attacks have reached Gulf.
Iran and Israel war affects Middle East
The conflict between Iran and Israel is expanding across the Middle East and is affecting several countries in the region. Fresh Israeli air strikes, drone attacks, missile interceptions and rising civilian deaths show that the war is intensifying rather than slowing down.
On Sunday, Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards said the country could continue an intense war for six months if necessary. At the same time, Israel confirmed that it carried out a strike on a hotel in central Beirut where it claimed senior Iranian military commanders were staying.
The fighting has now spread far beyond Iran and Israel. Several Gulf countries reported missile and drone attacks, while energy supplies and oil markets are also facing new risks. Civilians across the region are increasingly worried as infrastructure damage and casualties continue to rise.
Below is a detailed explanation of the latest developments in the growing regional conflict.
Iran says it can fight a long war
Iran has signalled that it is preparing for a prolonged conflict.
A spokesperson for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the country’s forces are capable of sustaining a high-intensity war for at least six months at the current level of fighting.
According to the spokesman, Iran has so far used only its first- and second-generation missiles in the conflict. He added that the country could soon deploy more advanced and longer-range missiles that have not yet been widely used.
The statement appears aimed at showing that Iran still has significant military capacity despite ongoing attacks on its infrastructure and military leadership.
Iran’s leadership has repeatedly said it will continue fighting after the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed last week during joint strikes carried out by the United States and Israel.
His death triggered the current wave of fighting across the region.
Israeli strike hits Beirut hotel
One of the most dramatic developments came early Sunday when Israel launched an air strike on a hotel in central Beirut, Lebanon.
Lebanon’s health ministry said the attack killed at least four people and injured ten others.
The Israeli military said the strike was a “precision operation” aimed at senior commanders from the Quds Force, the foreign operations wing of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
According to Israel, those commanders were planning attacks against Israeli targets.
🚨🇱🇧🇮🇱 Israel confirms a Beirut hotel strike killed IRGC Quds Force commanders planning attacks from Lebanon.
At least four dead.
Iran's officers are running out of places to hide.pic.twitter.com/WKXlNRcnYVhttps://t.co/KuFsDaFaKH— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 8, 2026
The hotel that was struck is located in the Raouche area, a well-known seaside tourist district in Beirut. The area is usually busy with visitors and had largely avoided major damage in previous fighting.
An AFP photographer at the scene reported shattered glass, burnt walls and security forces surrounding the damaged building.
Guests were seen leaving the hotel quickly with their luggage after the explosion.
Lebanon pulled deeper into the conflict
Lebanon has now become directly involved in the war.
The country was drawn into the conflict earlier in the week when Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed militant group based in Lebanon, launched rockets and drones at Israel.
Hezbollah said the attack was carried out in response to the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader.
Since then, Israel has launched multiple waves of strikes across Lebanon, particularly targeting Hezbollah positions.
Lebanon’s health ministry said at least 294 people have died in Israeli air strikes over the past week.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned that the country could soon face a humanitarian disaster if the fighting continues.
On Sunday, additional Israeli strikes were also reported in southern Lebanon, killing at least 12 more people overnight.
Hezbollah and Israeli forces exchange attacks
The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has also intensified near the border between the two countries.
Hezbollah said its fighters carried out rocket attacks against Israeli forces and a city inside Israel. The group said these strikes were a response to what it called “criminal Israeli aggression” against Lebanese towns.
Hezbollah fighters also reported clashes with Israeli troops near the border town of Aitaroun.
#Breaking
Hezbollah:
🚨We targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy army soldiers at the #Al_Malikiyah site opposite the border town of #Aitaroun with a guided missile & achieved confirmed casualties. #Hezbollah#Lebanon@qudsnpic.twitter.com/J9RPSvbxZL— ⚡️🌎 World News 🌐⚡️ (@ferozwala) March 8, 2026
Inside Israel, air raid sirens were heard in several northern areas as authorities warned of incoming rockets.
🇱🇧🇮🇱⚡- "The Israeli army has noticed a change in Hezbollah's pattern of rocket launching and marching tactics in recent days.
Hezbollah is intensifying and focusing its attacks on settlements on the front line, with the aim of forcing settlers to evacuate the north in response…— Rerum Novarum // Intel, Breaking News, and Alerts (@officialrnintel) March 8, 2026
There were no immediate reports of casualties from those attacks.
Israel launches fresh strikes across Tehran
At the same time as the Beirut strike, Israel also carried out new air raids across the Iranian capital Tehran.
The Israeli military said it targeted fuel storage facilities and infrastructure used for military operations.
Iran accused Israel and the United States of also attacking an oil depot in Tehran, marking the first known strike on the country’s oil infrastructure since the war began.
Such attacks raise serious concerns because Iran’s oil facilities are critical to the global energy supply.
Financial markets have already reacted to the conflict, with stock markets falling and crude oil prices rising sharply.
Fears grow over global oil supplies
Energy security has become one of the biggest concerns linked to the war.
Kuwait reported that an attack struck fuel storage tanks at its international airport, increasing fears that vital energy infrastructure across the Gulf region could become targets.
Kuwait’s national oil company later said it had reduced crude oil production due to threats around the Strait of Hormuz.
This narrow sea route is extremely important because about one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas shipments pass through it.
Any disruption in this area could cause major increases in global fuel prices and affect economies worldwide.
Gulf countries intercept drones and missiles
Several Gulf nations reported new attacks linked to the conflict.
Saudi Arabia said its air defence systems intercepted more than a dozen drones that were flying towards targets including the diplomatic district in the capital Riyadh.
Qatar said Iran fired two cruise missiles and ten ballistic missiles at the country on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates said its forces were intercepting incoming drones and missiles launched from Iran.
Video footage circulating online showed a projectile crashing at Dubai airport, though details about damage or casualties remain unclear.
Explosions were also heard in Baghdad and Erbil in Iraq, according to journalists in the area.
These developments show how the war is spreading across multiple countries in the Middle East.
Trump attends return ceremony for US soldiers killed in drone strike in Kuwait
The conflict has also caused American casualties.
US President Donald Trump attended the return ceremony for six American service members who were killed in a drone strike on a US military base in Kuwait last week.
Donald Trump has paid his respects to six U.S. soldiers killed in the Iran war.
But the president had barely left the tarmac at Dover Air Base, when his attention turned to the UK's prime minister.
Our U.S. correspondent @jamesmatthewsky has this analysis pic.twitter.com/HIEXV6Vgxq— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 8, 2026
At Dover Air Force Base, President Trump received the bodies of the 6 US soldiers who were killed in Kuwait by an Iranian retaliatory drone strike.
Follow: @AFpostpic.twitter.com/fc01zlqjtw— AF Post (@AFpost) March 7, 2026
The attack highlighted the growing danger faced by US forces stationed across the region.
Iran has previously warned that it may target US military bases and assets if the conflict continues.
Iran warns neighbouring countries
Iran’s leadership has also warned neighbouring states that host US military bases.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would be forced to respond if any country allowed its territory to be used as a launch point for attacks against Iran.
However, he said such a response would not mean Iran had a dispute with the people of those countries.
Instead, he described it as a necessary reaction to defend Iran’s territory.
On Saturday, the Iranian president apologised to neighbouring countries whose territories had been affected by attacks.
Iranian leaders say the US is 'trapped'
Iranian officials have also criticised the United States. Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani said the Trump administration expected a quick victory similar to the political situation in Venezuela, where the US tried to remove President Nicolás Maduro.
According to Larijani, Washington believed it could strike Iran, take control quickly and end the conflict.
But he said the situation has instead turned into a difficult and dangerous conflict.
“They thought it would be like Venezuela… but now they are trapped,” he said during an interview broadcast on Iranian state television.
Growing fear among civilians in Iran
Inside Iran, civilians are increasingly worried about the impact of the war.
Damage to residential areas and infrastructure has been reported in several cities.
Security forces are also highly visible on the streets.
A 26-year-old teacher told AFP that the fear of war is difficult to describe for people who have never experienced it.
“I don't think anyone who hasn't experienced war would understand it,” the teacher said.
According to Iran’s health ministry, at least 926 civilians have been killed and around 6,000 people injured so far.
However, these figures have not been independently verified.
Israel claims air dominance over Tehran
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel has gained almost complete control of the skies over Tehran.
This claim suggests that Israel’s air force can operate with fewer restrictions over Iranian territory.
Israel has already carried out some of its largest attacks since the war began, including strikes on:
- A military academy
- An underground command centre
- Missile storage facilities
Netanyahu has promised to continue the war “with all our force” in order to destroy Iran’s leadership and military capability.
US hints at future military involvement
The United States has also indicated that its involvement in the conflict could grow.
President Trump repeated his claim that Iran had been close to developing a nuclear weapon, a key justification used by Washington and Israel for military action.
He also suggested that US troops might eventually be needed to secure Iran’s stockpiles of enriched uranium.
Such a move would represent a major escalation and could further widen the war.
Deadly school strike still disputed
The tragic strikes on elementary school during the conflict remain unclear. Iran said the school in Minab was hit by a deadly strike last week, killing at least 150 people.
The United States blamed Iran for the attack. Iran, however, accused Washington of responsibility.
Neither the US nor Israel has officially claimed responsibility, and independent verification of the incident has not yet been possible.
Violence continues in the West Bank
While the regional war intensifies, violence is also continuing in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian health ministry said two Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli settlers in the town of Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah. The victims were identified as:
- Thaer Faruq Hamayel, 24
- Farea Jawdat Hamayel, 57
The Israeli military said it is looking into the incident.
This was the second deadly shooting involving settlers in two days.
On Saturday, another Palestinian man was killed during an attack on a village called Wadi al-Rakhim.
Local officials said settlers entered homes and attacked residents during the incident.
Rising death toll in the West Bank
Violence in the West Bank has sharply increased since the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, which triggered the Gaza war.
According to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry data:
- At least 1,042 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the Gaza war began.
- Many of the dead were militants, but civilians have also been among the victims.
During the same period, at least 45 Israelis, including soldiers and civilians, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations.
No clear path to end the war
Despite growing international concern, there is currently no clear plan to end the conflict. Analysts believe the war could last several weeks or even longer.
US and Israeli officials have said the fighting might continue for at least a month. President Trump suggested that Iran’s economy could eventually be rebuilt if a new leader acceptable to Washington replaces the late Supreme Leader.
Iran has strongly rejected this idea.
China and Russia remain cautious
Two of Iran’s key international partners, China and Russia, have so far avoided direct involvement in the conflict.
China’s top diplomat Wang Yi said the war should never have started. Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, he warned against the use of force in international disputes.
“A strong fist does not mean strong reason,” Wang said.
“The world cannot return to the law of the jungle.”
No clear sign of when the war will end
The conflict between Iran and Israel has now grown into one of the most serious regional crises in recent years.
Air strikes, drone attacks and missile launches are spreading across several countries, including Lebanon, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Civilian deaths are rising, infrastructure is being damaged and global energy markets are feeling the pressure.
With Iran warning it can fight for months and Israel continuing its military campaign, there is still no clear sign of how or when the war will end.
The coming weeks may determine whether the conflict can be contained or whether it will spread even further across the Middle East.
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