Israel launches new wave of attacks on Iran as regional crisis deepens

Israel launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran on Friday, intensifying a rapidly escalating regional conflict that has already spread beyond its initial front lines and shaken global energy markets.

The latest attacks came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump urged Israel not to repeat strikes on Iranian natural gas infrastructure—an escalation that had significantly raised tensions in what is increasingly seen as a joint U.S.-Israeli confrontation with Tehran.

According to a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, the military had “begun a wave of strikes against the infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime in the heart of Tehran,” though no further details were provided.

The conflict, which began on February 28 after diplomatic efforts over Iran’s nuclear program collapsed, has killed thousands, drawn in neighboring countries, and disrupted the global economy.

In the early hours of Friday, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates reported missile attacks following days of Iranian strikes targeting regional energy infrastructure.

Energy markets have been particularly volatile. Prices surged Thursday after Iran retaliated against an Israeli strike on a major gas field by hitting Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar, a key processing center for roughly one-fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas. The damage is expected to take years to repair.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s primary Red Sea export hub also came under attack, even as the kingdom sought to reroute shipments to bypass disruptions caused by Iran’s threat to the Strait of Hormuz—a critical passageway for about 20% of global oil supplies.

Despite the attacks, oil prices edged lower on Friday after European nations and Japan offered to help secure maritime routes through the strait, and the United States signaled plans to increase oil production.

The strikes on energy infrastructure highlight Iran’s capacity to impose significant economic costs in response to military pressure, as well as the limitations of existing air defense systems in protecting key assets across the Gulf.

Facing political pressure at home over rising fuel prices ahead of midterm elections, Trump criticized allies for what he described as a cautious response to U.S. calls for coordinated action to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

“I told him, ‘Don’t do that,’ and he won’t do that,” Trump said Thursday, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and further strikes on energy infrastructure.

Netanyahu later confirmed that Israel had acted alone in the attack on Iran’s South Pars gas field and acknowledged Trump’s request to avoid further escalation in that sector.

He added that Iran had been “decimated” and no longer possessed the capability to enrich uranium or produce ballistic missiles, though he suggested that any fundamental political change in Tehran would require a “ground component,” without elaborating further.