US–Israel Joint Strikes on Iran Trigger Regional Retaliation, Global Flight Disruptions and Fears of Wider Middle East War
The United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes across Iran on Saturday, and dramatically escalated tensions in the Middle East. This has triggered retaliatory missile and drone attacks by Tehran against Israel and U.S. military installations across the Gulf, against what POTUS Donald Trump described as a large-scale operation aimed at destroying Iran’s military capabilities and preventing it from acquiring nuclear weapons.
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Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the operation was carried out “to remove threats,” while officials briefed on the campaign indicated that military infrastructure, intelligence facilities and symbols of state authority were among the targets.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the country would defend its sovereignty, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced counterattacks involving drones and missiles directed at Israel as well as strikes targeting U.S. military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.
Sirens sounded across Israel as air defense systems were activated, while explosions were reported near American military facilities across the region.
At least 57 people were reported killed and dozens wounded at a girls’ school in southern Iran during the strikes, according to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, while regional fallout spread quickly as shrapnel from an Iranian missile attack killed one person in the United Arab Emirates.
Authorities across Iraq, the UAE and Qatar closed airspace amid fears of wider escalation, disrupting international aviation and forcing flight diversions across major global routes.
President Trump confirmed U.S. participation more than an hour after the strikes began, announcing that American forces had initiated what he called “major combat operations” designed to eliminate “imminent threats” posed by Iran’s leadership.
In an eight-minute video statement, Trump linked the military action not only to Iran’s nuclear program but to decades of hostility between Washington and Tehran, urging Iranian citizens to shelter during the fighting while later calling on them to “take over your government” once operations conclude.
The strikes followed months of mounting pressure on Tehran tied to stalled nuclear negotiations. As previously reported by the Associated Press, Washington had assembled one of its largest regional military deployments in decades, including aircraft carriers USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford, guided-missile destroyers and more than 10,000 additional troops positioned across the Middle East to reinforce deterrence efforts and pressure Iran into accepting limits on its nuclear activities.
Israel said planning for the operation had taken place for months in coordination with the United States. The immediate trigger appeared to be the collapse of the latest round of diplomatic talks aimed at constraining Iran’s nuclear program, negotiations mediated partly through Oman and Switzerland that failed to produce a breakthrough agreement.
Iran responded within hours, launching what its Revolutionary Guard described as a “first wave” of retaliatory attacks. Missile warnings were issued across Israel, though Israeli officials reported no major casualties.
Bahrain confirmed an attempted strike targeting the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, while witnesses in Kuwait and Qatar reported explosions and air defense activity near American military installations.
The conflict rapidly expanded into a broader regional security crisis. Iranian-aligned Houthi officials in Yemen signaled intentions to resume attacks on Red Sea shipping routes and Israeli targets, raising fears of renewed disruption to global maritime trade corridors. U.S. embassies across Israel and Gulf states instructed personnel and citizens to shelter in place.
Global aviation networks were immediately affected. Israel, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates shut their airspace, while Dubai International Airport — the world’s busiest hub for international travel — halted operations, canceling hundreds of flights.
Airlines including Emirates, British Airways, United Airlines, Turkish Airlines and Virgin Atlantic suspended or rerouted services across the Middle East, forcing travelers worldwide to adjust routes and schedules as airlines avoided conflict zones.
International reactions reflected deep divisions among global powers. Britain, France and Germany called for an urgent return to negotiations and urged restraint while condemning Iranian attacks on regional states. European Union leaders warned the situation was “perilous” and emphasized protection of civilians and adherence to international law.
Russia condemned the strikes as a “pre-planned and unprovoked act of armed aggression,” while China called for an immediate halt to military operations and respect for Iran’s sovereignty.
Australia and Canada expressed support for efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, while several governments convened emergency security meetings amid fears the confrontation could evolve into a broader regional war.
French President Emmanuel Macron called for an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council, warning that open conflict among the United States, Israel and Iran posed serious risks to global peace and stability.
The confrontation unfolds against a backdrop of prolonged regional instability following Hamas’ October 2023 attack on Israel, weakening of Iran-aligned proxy networks across the Middle East, and sustained economic pressure on Tehran from international sanctions.
Analysts have warned that escalation could threaten energy markets if Iran disrupts traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which is a critical maritime corridor through which roughly one-third of the world’s seaborne oil exports passed in 2025.
Iran has maintained that it retains the right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes while denying pursuit of nuclear weapons, though it has restricted international inspections at previously targeted facilities.
Satellite imagery analyzed by the Associated Press indicated renewed activity at some nuclear sites following earlier strikes, suggesting attempts to assess damage or recover materials.
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