Regional Conflict Intensifies as Strikes Hit Iran, Lebanon, and Gulf States

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Fuel distribution in Iran’s capital was temporarily suspended after joint U.S. and Israeli strikes targeted several fuel depots in and around Tehran, according to an Iranian official.

Large fires broke out at five facilities following the attacks, sending thick smoke across parts of the city as dawn approached. Journalists reported that a dark haze covered sections of Tehran as emergency crews worked to control the fires.

Debate Over Iran’s Next Supreme Leader

Meanwhile, a powerful Iranian clerical body responsible for selecting the country’s next supreme leader has reportedly agreed on a candidate to succeed Ali Khamenei, though the name has not yet been publicly announced.

Iranian officials rejected demands from Donald Trump that the United States should have influence over the selection process. Israel’s military warned that it would target any successor and those involved in appointing one.

Israeli Strike in Lebanon

In Beirut, Lebanon said an Israeli airstrike on a hotel killed four people. The Israeli military said the strike targeted commanders linked to the overseas operations branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, specifically the Quds Force.

Elsewhere in southern Lebanon, authorities said eight people were killed in Israeli strikes affecting more than 20 towns and villages during ongoing clashes with the Iran-backed group Hezbollah.

Explosions Reported Across Iran

State media reported explosions in Yazd Province on Sunday. The blasts occurred near Yazd, although officials did not immediately confirm the targets.

Earlier explosions had also been reported in Tehran and Isfahan Province, raising concerns about a widening conflict inside Iran.

Crew Missing After Strait of Hormuz Incident

Three Indonesian sailors remain missing after a UAE-flagged tugboat was hit by a blast and sank in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday.

Indonesia’s foreign ministry said seven crew members were on board. One survivor is receiving treatment for burns in Oman, while search operations continue for the missing sailors.

Shipping traffic through the vital maritime route has already been heavily disrupted by repeated attacks since the conflict escalated.

Attacks Reported Across Gulf States

Several Gulf countries reported new attacks linked to the regional escalation.

In Kuwait, two border guards were killed while on duty, and authorities said a drone strike targeted fuel tanks at the country’s international airport.

Saudi Arabia said its air defenses intercepted 15 drones, including one aimed at the diplomatic district of Riyadh.

In Bahrain, officials reported that three people were injured by falling missile debris and that a desalination plant sustained damage.

Iran Signals Prolonged Conflict

A spokesperson for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the country’s forces are capable of sustaining an “intense war” for up to six months, adding that more advanced missile systems may be used in the coming days.

Iran Warns It Will Respond

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that Iran would be forced to respond to any attack or attempted invasion by neighboring countries.

He said Iran’s response would be driven by necessity rather than hostility toward the people of neighboring states.

A day earlier, Pezeshkian apologized to countries hosting U.S. military bases for attacks carried out on their territories during the conflict.

Dispute Over Deadly School Strike

Meanwhile, Donald Trump accused Iran of being responsible for a deadly strike on a primary school in Iran that Iranian officials say killed at least 150 people.

However, an investigation by The New York Times suggested that the U.S. military was the most likely source of the strike.

Journalists have not been able to independently verify the incident or confirm the number of casualties.

Photo Credit: AFP