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✍️ Written by Saket Suman The rapidly expanding confrontation between Iran, Israel and the United States has marked a decisive turning point in Middle Eastern geopolitics, transforming what for decades remained a controlled proxy rivalry into a direct, multi-state regional conflict with global consequences. What began as targeted military operations has by now evolved into a systemic crisis touching sovereign territories, civilian infrastructure, global aviation networks and international diplomacy. This is a signal of the collapse of the region’s long-standing deterrence architecture. Representational Image: U.S. aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) The shift became unmistakable after joint U.S.–Israeli strikes inside Iran killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior officials, and triggered retaliatory missile and drone attacks that extended far beyond Israel into Gulf countries hosting American assets.  As report...

U.S.–Iran tensions spilled into the diplomatic arena at the United Nations on Monday as Iran’s ambassador sharply criticized Washington just moments before a high-level Security Council session on protecting children in armed conflict, even as military operations and humanitarian concerns intensified across multiple fronts of the widening Middle East war. Image Source: Araghchi The confrontation unfolded as Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, condemned the timing and theme of the meeting chaired by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, arguing that discussions on safeguarding children contrasted with what he described as deadly strikes inside Iran.  Speaking to reporters ahead of the session, Iravani said it was “deeply shameful and hypocritical” for the United States to convene a meeting focused on protecting children and maintaining international peace while, according to Tehran, missile attacks had struck Iranian cities and caused civilian casualties, including...

The battlefield and blowback are widening beyond Iran and Israel into Gulf states and key energy and shipping corridors. Iran and Iranian-backed militias fired missiles at Israel and Arab states on Monday, with an apparent strike hitting the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait as smoke was seen from inside the embassy area and Washington issued an urgent warning to Americans there to take cover and avoid the embassy.  Representational Image; Via  United States  Central Command Iran also expanded pressure on global energy and maritime routes: Saudi Aramco temporarily shut the Ras Tanura refinery near Dammam after Iranian drones targeted it, and Oman said a bomb-carrying drone boat struck a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, killing one mariner.  These attacks followed earlier regional disruptions that have already forced civil aviation shutdowns and reroutes; Dubai’s government said flights from Dubai International (DXB) and Al Maktoum (DWC) would re...

U.S.  President Donald Trump said at the White House on Monday that the U.S. military is “continu(ing) to carry out large-scale combat operations in Iran” under “Operation Epic Fury,” framing the campaign as an effort to eliminate what he called “grave threats posed to America” by Iran’s leadership while warning the operation could run beyond initial timelines.  Image Source: White House Trump told the audience the United States had previously “obliterat(ed)” Iran’s nuclear program in “Operation Midnight Hammer,” claimed Iran “ignored” U.S. warnings not to rebuild, and argued that Iran’s “ballistic missile program was growing rapidly and dramatically,” which he said threatened U.S. forces overseas and could eventually reach the United States.  He described the current U.S. objectives as “clear,” saying the campaign is focused on “destroying Iran’s missile capabilities” and its capacity to produce new missiles, “annihilating” Iran’s navy, ensuring Iran “can never obtain a ...

Iran’s widening retaliation across the Middle East intensified on Monday as missiles and drones launched by Tehran and allied militias struck or targeted multiple countries, apparently hitting the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait while Israel and the United States expanded coordinated strikes deep inside Iranian territory, and pushed the conflict into a broader regional confrontation affecting energy supplies, global shipping and civilian life far beyond the battlefield. Representational Image: Israel Defence Forces The latest escalation has been unfolding as Iranian projectiles targeted Israel and several Arab states hosting U.S. military assets, triggering air-defence responses across the Gulf. Authorities in Bahrain reported intercepting dozens of incoming threats, including roughly 70 ballistic missiles and nearly 60 drones. This shows the scale of the aerial campaign now stretching across multiple sovereign territories.  The attacks followed sustained U.S.–Israeli operations ai...

Dubai airports are beginning a limited resumption of flight operations on Monday evening after nearly three days of widespread aviation shutdown triggered by escalating military exchanges across West Asia, authorities said. This marks the first cautious reopening of one of the world’s most critical global transit hubs amid an ongoing regional conflict. Image Source: Murt Crypto on X In a statement, the Dubai Media Office said Dubai Airports would restart limited flights from Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) starting the evening of March 2, 2026, while urging passengers not to travel to the airport unless their airline has directly confirmed departure timings , underscoring that operations remain tightly controlled as security conditions continue to evolve. The partial reopening follows an unprecedented disruption that grounded flights across the Gulf after regional airspace closures were imposed in response to Iranian m...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expanded India’s diplomatic engagement with Gulf leaders as the West Asia conflict deepened, holding separate telephone conversations with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, condemning attacks on both countries and reiterating India’s push for rapid de-escalation amid a widening regional war triggered by U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran.  File Photo Via PM NaMo In statements issued after the calls, Modi said India stood in solidarity with Bahrain following recent attacks and thanked its leadership for safeguarding the Indian community, while discussions with Saudi Arabia focused on restoring regional peace and stability after strikes that New Delhi described as violations of sovereignty and territorial integrity. The latest outreach forms part of an accelerating diplomatic effort by New Delhi as the conflict spreads beyond Israel and Iran into Gulf states hosting c...

Iranian missile and drone attacks across multiple Middle Eastern countries have drawn a rare coordinated condemnation from the United States and key Gulf and regional allies, with governments warning that the widening strikes represent a dangerous escalation threatening civilian safety and regional stability as the conflict triggered by U.S.–Israeli military action against Iran continues to expand. Image So u rce: Standard News on X In a joint statement released Monday, the United States, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates said they “strongly condemn the reckless and indiscriminate Iranian missile and drone attacks against sovereign territories in the region,” stating that the strikes targeted areas across Bahrain, Iraq, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.  The governments said the attacks were “unjustified,” stressing that they endangered civilians and damaged civilian infrastructure while viol...

Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency said Monday that U.S.-Israeli airstrikes hit Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment complex, as the widening U.S.–Israel–Iran war pushed deeper into Lebanon, disrupted energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and jolted global markets.  File Photo: Vanhoa222 Reza Najafi, Tehran’s envoy to the U.N. nuclear watchdog, alleged the Natanz facility was targeted as he addressed the agency in Vienna, while Israel and the United States have not publicly acknowledged strikes there.  Soon after, IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi told a special session of the agency’s Board of Governors that the watchdog had “no indication” so far that Iran’s nuclear installations — including the Bushehr nuclear power plant and the Tehran Research Reactor — have been damaged, and said there was no sign of radiation levels rising above normal background levels in countries bordering Iran.  Grossi also warned that the region’s operational nuclear plants...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed deep concern over the rapidly escalating conflict in West Asia, warning that the evolving security situation following U.S.-Israeli military strikes on Iran has emerged as a major geopolitical and humanitarian challenge, even as India stepped up diplomatic outreach and domestic security monitoring amid fears of wider fallout. PM NaMo chairs an emergency meet of Cabinet Committee On Security (CCS) Speaking alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney after bilateral talks, Modi said the situation in West Asia was “a matter of grave concern,” underscoring India’s priority of safeguarding its citizens across the conflict-affected region.  He said New Delhi would continue coordinating with regional governments to ensure the safety and welfare of Indians living and working across Gulf nations, where millions of Indian nationals reside. The remarks come days after joint military operations by the United States and Israel struck mul...

The U.S. Embassy in Bahrain issued a new security reminder on March 2, 2026 , urging U.S. citizens to “exercise caution and maintain vigilance” as drone and missile attacks from Iran continue , and warning that “hotels might be a target” —specifically advising Americans to avoid hotels in Manama as the regional conflict widens and Bahrain remains within reach of incoming fire.  Image Source: GhostFront on X The alert repeats practical survival guidance for residents and visitors, stressing immediate cover during explosions or sirens and warning that falling debris remains dangerous even when interceptions succeed . The embassy’s guidance describes a threat environment where attacks could come “with little or no warning,” telling people to move to the lowest level of a building with the fewest exterior walls, stay away from windows, and avoid large gatherings or demonstrations while tracking official instructions and major news updates.  It also reiterates emergency channels (...

Dubai’s aviation network remained largely grounded for a third consecutive day as Emirates extended the suspension of all flights to and from the city until at least 15:00 UAE time on March 2, reflecting the widening impact of the escalating confrontation between Iran, Israel and the United States that has reshaped air travel across the Middle East and beyond. Satellite photos revealed two separate fires at Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port; Via: Konain Bhatti on X The halt follows coordinated airspace restrictions imposed by Gulf civil aviation authorities after Iranian missile and drone attacks targeted regional infrastructure, including airports and areas near major transport hubs.  Authorities across the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq and Iran have either closed or heavily restricted their skies, sharply reducing safe flight corridors and forcing airlines worldwide to cancel or reroute services. Aviation tracking data shows more than 1,800 flights across the region have alread...

Iran has fired missiles at Israel and multiple Arab states on Monday while allied militias joined the confrontation, dramatically widening a war triggered by joint U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as escalating attacks, civilian casualties and diplomatic breakdowns signaled a conflict moving toward a prolonged regional crisis. Photo from Beit Shemesh; Via: Seth Frantzman Missile launches and drone activity were reported across Israel, Kuwait, Iraq and the Gulf, while Hezbollah entered the conflict by firing projectiles from Lebanon into Israel, prompting Israeli retaliatory airstrikes that Lebanese authorities said killed at least 31 people and wounded more than 140.  Simultaneously, U.S. and Israeli forces continued sustained bombardments inside Iran targeting military infrastructure, command facilities and communications networks. JUST IN: 🇧🇭 Massive explosion in Bahrain. pic.twitter.com/UqVQoWl6AG — BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) March...

Several U.S. warplanes crashed in Kuwait on Monday with all pilots safely ejecting, the Kuwaiti Defense Ministry has officially said, as Iranian missile fire and regional military exchanges intensified across the Gulf following days of escalating conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States.  The ministry said the pilots were taken to hospital for medical checks and were in stable condition, while the cause of the crashes was not immediately disclosed. U.S. Central Command did not immediately comment on the incident, which occurred during what officials described as an intense period of Iranian attacks targeting the country. Image Source: OSNIT Defender The crashes came amid widening hostilities that have drawn multiple Middle Eastern states into the conflict. Fire and smoke were seen rising from inside the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait City after a missile strike apparently hit the area, according to reporting attributed in running accounts by the Associated Press , thoug...

U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington and its allies had carried out one of the largest coordinated military offensives in recent history, announcing that “Operation Epic Fury” had struck hundreds of targets across Iran as fighting between Iran, Israel and U.S. forces intensified and widened regional instability.  POTUS Trump Monitors U.S. Military Operations in Iran; Via: White House Speaking after more than 24 hours of sustained operations, Trump said the campaign targeted “Revolutionary Guard facilities” and Iranian air-defence systems and confirmed that U.S. forces had destroyed multiple naval assets, stating that American strikes had “knocked out nine ships plus their naval building… all in a matter of literally minutes.”  The announcement came as combat operations continued across several theatres in the Middle East, with missile exchanges, airstrikes and retaliatory attacks reported across Israel and Gulf states. Trump said the offensive followed joint U.S.–I...

Israel’s military said Iran launched a new wave of missiles toward Israeli territory, prompting nationwide alerts and immediate activation of air defense systems as authorities ordered civilians to move into protected shelters amid the continuing escalation between the two countries. Image Source: World Source News In a statement posted by the Israeli Air Force, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that missiles had been detected heading toward Israel and that interception systems were operating to neutralize the incoming threat. The military said emergency alerts were transmitted directly to mobile phones in affected regions through the Home Front Command’s warning system, instructing residents to immediately enter protected spaces and remain there until further notice. Authorities emphasized that civilians must follow official directives strictly, warning that leaving shelters without explicit clearance could put lives at risk. The Home Front Command said residents should remain...