The Middle East conflict sharply intensified Monday as hostilities between the United States, Israel and Iran expanded across the region, drawing in Gulf states and disrupting civil aviation networks from Qatar to Cyprus.

Drone strike hits UK base in Cyprus

A suspected Iranian-made drone struck the British Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri, Cyprus, overnight, causing limited damage to a runway but no reported casualties. The incident — the first attack on the base in decades — alarmed both British and Cypriot authorities, prompting heightened security measures.

Officials stressed that Cyprus is not a direct combatant in the conflict, but the strike underscores how far the fighting has spread beyond its original flashpoints.

The attack came amid a broader wave of Iranian retaliatory strikes targeting U.S. and allied military assets following joint U.S.–Israeli operations against Iranian strategic sites.

U.S. aircraft downed in Kuwait

In Kuwait, multiple U.S. military aircraft were reported downed during continued Iranian missile and drone attacks. Kuwaiti authorities confirmed crashes within their territory and said all crew members were rescued and are in stable condition.

Air defense systems across Kuwait remained active for a third consecutive day as missiles and drones were intercepted over key military and diplomatic areas. Emergency services responded to debris impacts, with minor injuries reported.

The incidents mark one of the most dangerous escalations in U.S.–Iran tensions in decades, with both sides engaging in sustained operations.

Doha Airport disrupted

The conflict has also thrown regional air travel into chaos. Hamad International Airport in Doha — one of the world’s busiest transit hubs — was forced to suspend operations temporarily after missile alerts and security threats were reported over Qatari airspace.

Qatar closed its airspace as a precautionary measure, and major carriers suspended or rerouted flights. Thousands of passengers have been stranded as airlines scramble to adjust schedules amid rapidly changing security conditions.

Airspace across parts of the Gulf region has thinned dramatically, with commercial traffic diverted away from potential conflict zones.

Dubai targeted

In the United Arab Emirates, particularly in Dubai, the impact of the widening regional conflict has become increasingly visible.

Missile interception activity has been reported in the skies, with loud explosions heard across parts of the city as air defense systems responded to incoming threats. Authorities temporarily closed national airspace as a precaution, leading to significant disruption at Dubai International Airport and other major transit hubs.

Several commercial flights were suspended or diverted, leaving thousands of passengers stranded while emergency services responded to falling debris in some areas. Officials confirmed casualties following recent strikes. The government has urged residents to remain calm while security forces continue defensive operations to protect key infrastructure and population centers.

Iran: Retaliation and heightened military mobilization

Inside Iran, the country remains on high alert following large-scale strikes on strategic and military sites. Explosions have been reported in and around major cities, including Tehran, as air defenses remain active amid continued military operations.

Iran’s leadership has vowed strong retaliation, launching waves of missile and drone attacks targeting U.S. and allied military positions across the region.

Military mobilization has intensified, with Revolutionary Guard units placed on maximum readiness. The domestic atmosphere is tense, with state media framing the conflict as a decisive confrontation while authorities work to maintain internal stability.

Israel: State of emergency and continued strikes

In Israel, a nationwide state of emergency remains in effect as the military carries out sustained operations against Iranian-linked targets. Air raid sirens have sounded in multiple cities as missile and drone threats persist, with Israel’s air defense systems intercepting incoming projectiles.

The Israeli military has mobilized reservists and expanded strikes beyond immediate border areas, signaling preparations for a prolonged confrontation.

Officials have warned that operations will continue until security threats are neutralized, raising concerns about further escalation.

Lebanon: Hezbollah engagement and border escalation

On the Lebanon front, tensions have escalated sharply as Hezbollah launched rocket and missile fire toward northern Israel. The attacks mark a significant intensification along the border.

In response, Israeli forces conducted airstrikes in southern Lebanon and areas near Beirut, targeting what they describe as militant infrastructure.

Casualties have been reported, and fears are growing that Lebanon could be drawn deeper into the regional war. Political leaders in Beirut have called for restraint, but cross-border exchanges continue, keeping the frontier on edge.

Wider regional impact

The latest escalation follows coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets, triggering this multi-front Iranian response that has extended across the Gulf and into the eastern Mediterranean.

The widening confrontation has raised fears of a prolonged regional war with significant economic and humanitarian consequences.

Global markets meanwhile have reacted nervously, while governments continue urgent diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing further escalation.

Israel launched new air strikes targeting Tehran and expanded its military campaign to include attacks on Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon on Monday, as U.S. President Donald Trump signaled the U.S.-Israeli military assault on Iranian targets could continue for weeks, Reuters reported.

Israel said it was attacking sites connected to Lebanon’s Shi’ite Muslim armed group Hezbollah, one of Tehran’s principal allies in the Middle East, after Hezbollah acknowledged launching missiles and drones toward Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The Israeli military said it intercepted a projectile launched from Lebanon, while others landed in open areas of the country.

Israel carried out air strikes on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut on Monday, with more than a dozen explosions rocking the Lebanese capital. Israel said it also struck senior Hezbollah militants near Beirut.

People fled on foot and by car in Beirut, clogging the roads, after the series of strikes began around 2:40 a.m. (0040 GMT).

Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in 2024 after more than a year of fighting that left Hezbollah severely weakened.

The Hezbollah and Israel tit-for-tat attacks widen the conflict that has spread through the Middle East since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday, sending oil prices soaring and snarling air travel.

Lebanon’s presidency said on Saturday it had been told by the U.S. ambassador that Israel would not escalate against Lebanon as long as there are no hostile acts from the Lebanese side.

The Israeli military said Hezbollah was “fully responsible for any escalation” and warned residents of dozens of villages in southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate.

The Israeli military said late on Sunday that its air force had established aerial superiority over Tehran, and that a wave of strikes across the capital had targeted intelligence, security, and military command centers, read the report.

In Iran, President Masoud Pezeshkian said a leadership council composed of himself, the judiciary head and a member of the powerful Guardian Council had temporarily assumed the duties of Supreme Leader.

Air raid sirens sounded across Israel late on Sunday, including in Tel Aviv where projectiles were seen streaking across the night sky as Iran fired new barrages of missiles.

The first U.S. casualties of the campaign, including the deaths of three service personnel were confirmed on Sunday. Two U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the U.S. service members were killed on a base in Kuwait.

Trump paid tribute to the three killed as “true American patriots” but warned that there will likely be more casualties. “That’s the way it is,” he said.

An extended military campaign could pose a major political risk for Trump’s Republican party ahead of U.S. midterm elections that could decide the fate of Congress. Only around one in four Americans approve of the operation, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll on Sunday.

But in a video posted on Sunday, Trump vowed military strikes on Iran will continue until “all our objectives are achieved” without providing specifics. He said the assault had so far wiped out Iran’s military command and destroyed nine Iranian navy ships and a naval building.

American aircraft and warships have struck more than 1,000 Iranian targets since the start of major combat operations on Saturday, the U.S. military said.

Trump called on Iran’s military and police, including the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), to stop fighting, promising immunity for those who surrender and threatening “certain death” for those who resist. He reiterated calls for the Iranian people to revolt against the government.

“I call upon all Iranian patriots who yearn for freedom to seize this moment, to be brave, be bold, be heroic and take back your country,” Trump said in the pre-recorded video. “America is with you.”

In interviews with multiple news outlets, Trump said the military campaign against Iran could continue for at least four weeks. Top Trump administration officials were set to brief the full membership of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives on Tuesday, a White House spokesperson said.

Following the death of Khamenei, Iran faces a power vacuum that could leave it in chaos, but the Trump administration has not outlined longer-term aims for the country.

Departing from what had become his usual practice while staying at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump did not speak with the pool of reporters that travel with him. No administration officials appeared on Sunday political talk shows in the U.S.

The Trump administration wants to avoid sending mixed signals as officials continue to debate policy details internally, a person familiar with the discussions told Reuters.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday they had hit three U.S. and UK oil tankers in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, and attacked military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain with drones and missiles. Shipping data showed hundreds of vessels including oil and gas tankers dropping anchor in nearby waters with traders expecting sharp jumps in crude oil prices on Monday, Reuters reported.

Global air travel was also heavily disrupted as continued air strikes kept major Middle Eastern airports closed, including Dubai — the world’s busiest international hub — in one of the biggest aviation interruptions in recent years.

Oman’s foreign ministry said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had indicated Tehran was open to de-escalation. But in a post on X, Araqchi suggested Iran was ready to keep fighting.

It remained unclear what the longer-term prospects were for Iran to rebuild its leadership and replace 86-year-old Khamenei, who had held power since the death of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.

Experts said that while his death and those of other Iranian leaders would deal Iran a major blow, it would not necessarily spell the end of Iran’s entrenched clerical rule or the sway of the elite Revolutionary Guards over the population.

Still, it was too early to say how the Iranian people would respond to the changes. A new analysis of Iranian social media from Redpoint Advisors, a global intelligence firm, suggests the public is already looking beyond Khamenei for his replacement.

Iran carried out extensive drone and missile attacks across multiple Gulf countries on Sunday, March 1, marking a sharp escalation following a joint U.S.-Israeli operation that targeted Iranian leadership and military infrastructure.

The offensive has caused fatalities, injuries, and widespread structural damage, as regional tensions soar.

Gulf States Under Fire

United Arab Emirates: Authorities reported that drones struck Abu Dhabi and Zayed International Airports, killing one person and injuring 11. Additional drones were intercepted elsewhere, with debris causing injuries to two more people in Dubai. Loud explosions heard across the emirate were attributed to air-defense operations.

Bahrain: Drones targeted Bahrain International Airport, causing limited material damage but no casualties. The passenger terminal was evacuated, and emergency plans were activated to protect travelers.

Qatar: Civil defense teams extinguished a minor fire in an industrial area after debris from an intercepted missile fell there, with no reported injuries.

Oman: Two drones targeted Duqm Port on the southeastern coast, injuring one worker and causing minor damage near fuel tanks. Omani authorities condemned the attack and vowed to safeguard national facilities.

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Jordan were also reportedly targeted in Iran’s coordinated missile and drone strikes, heightening fears of further escalation across the region.

Israel and U.S. attacks in Iran

The wave of attacks comes after Israel and the United States carried out airstrikes on Iranian territory Saturday, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Armed Forces Chief of Staff Abdolrahim Mousavi, and several senior officials.

The strikes were described by Israeli and U.S. sources as part of a campaign against Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

US President Donald Trump warned that any Iranian retaliation would be met with “a force that has never been seen before,” while Iran’s security chief, Ali Larijani, vowed an unprecedented counterstrike.

The Iranian parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, condemned the U.S.-Israeli operation as crossing a “red line” and promised severe retaliation.

Regional and global impact

Air raid sirens sounded across Israel, with explosions reported in Tel Aviv as Iran targeted cities and U.S. bases. Gulf embassies have advised foreign nationals to shelter in place, and nearly all airports in the region have suspended flights, creating one of the largest aviation disruptions in recent years.

The ongoing strikes and counterstrikes have disrupted shipping and oil transport, with Iran briefly closing the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about 20% of global oil consumption. OPEC+ is reportedly considering a larger-than-planned output increase in response to market uncertainty.

Civilian impact and humanitarian concerns

The attacks on Gulf airports, ports, and residential areas have caused civilian casualties and forced mass evacuations. In Dubai, shrapnel from intercepted drones injured two civilians, while Oman reported one injured port worker. Analysts warn that escalating strikes on both civilian and military targets could widen the conflict, endangering populations across the region.

Many foreign embassies based in Gulf States have meanwhile advised their nationals to take shelter.

Outlook

With Iran forming a temporary leadership council following the death of Khamenei, and U.S. and Israeli forces maintaining offensive operations, the Middle East faces an unprecedented military escalation.

Experts warn that without immediate diplomatic intervention, the conflict could expand beyond the Gulf, with severe humanitarian and economic consequences.

This remains a rapidly evolving situation with high stakes for regional security, global energy markets, and civilian populations across multiple countries.