Iran strikes targets across the Middle East as conflict enters fourth day, with oil prices soaring and threats of wider war.
TEHRAN: Loud explosions rocked the Iranian capital on Tuesday. The blasts came as Iran carried out attacks on industrial and diplomatic targets across the region.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned of more intense attacks on US forces and Israel. “The enemy must await continuous punitive attacks; the gates of hell will open more and more, moment by moment, upon the United States and Israel,” spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini told state TV.
The conflict, now in its fourth day, began with US and Israeli strikes over the weekend that killed Iran’s supreme leader. Iran’s foreign ministry urged the UN Security Council to act to stop the war.
Oil prices soared as the war disrupted supplies, with the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed. Brent crude jumped more than 8% to USD 85.12 a barrel, its highest level since July 2024.
Precious metal prices fell sharply as traders moved into energy and the US dollar. Gold shed more than 4% to around USD 5,075 an ounce.
Israeli forces advanced into Lebanese territory, a Lebanese army source told AFP. The source expressed concern over “Israel’s attempt to establish a broad security belt in south Lebanon”.
Israeli military spokesman Effie Defrin said the aim was to create a buffer zone. The UN refugee agency said the escalation has displaced at least 30,000 people in Lebanon.
The UN nuclear watchdog confirmed “some recent damage” to Iran’s underground Natanz nuclear site. The International Atomic Energy Agency said no radiological consequence was expected.
Explosions were also reported in the Bahraini capital Manama and in Doha, Qatar. A series of overhead explosions were heard from Jerusalem as Israel intercepted fresh missiles.
The Iranian Red Crescent said more than 780 people have been killed nationwide since the strikes began. AFP was not in a position to verify the figure.
Tech giant Amazon said two of its data centres in the United Arab Emirates were “directly struck” by drones. A facility in Bahrain was also damaged, disrupting cloud services.
Two drones hit the US embassy in Riyadh, sparking a fire. The Saudi foreign ministry condemned “the heinous attack”.
France deployed Rafale fighter jets over the UAE to protect its bases. China called on all sides to maintain safety in the Strait of Hormuz and to cease military operations.
Debris from a drone interception caused a fire at an oil zone in the UAE city of Fujairah. Drones also targeted an Omani port, hitting a fuel tank.
US President Donald Trump said the US-UK relationship was “not like it used to be”. He criticised British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s initial refusal to let the US use UK bases.
The Sun Malaysia
