Fresh Israeli airstrikes hit targets in Iran and Lebanon on Wednesday, as regional tensions deepened and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it had sealed off the strategic Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy transit routes.
The latest escalation comes on the fifth day of fighting between Israel and Iran, with governments racing to evacuate stranded citizens and global markets rattled by fears of prolonged conflict and energy disruptions.
Iran has expanded its retaliatory campaign, launching missiles and drones across the region. A drone was shot down near Baghdad International Airport on Wednesday, according to Iraqi security sources, a day after a similar incident at the facility. The airport complex includes a military base hosting US diplomatic operations.
Israel said it carried out a “broad wave of strikes” across Iran shortly after midnight, following several rounds of Iranian missile fire directed at Israeli territory.
Elsewhere in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia reported intercepting two cruise missiles, while drones struck near the US consulate in Dubai, causing a fire, and targeted the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
The United States Department of State urged American citizens to leave the region where possible, despite severe disruptions to commercial air travel. Countries including United Kingdom and France have arranged chartered evacuation flights.
In Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces issued evacuation warnings for residents of 16 towns and villages in the south ahead of planned operations against Hezbollah.
Lebanese state media reported that Israeli strikes hit a residential building in Baalbek, killing four people. Additional strikes were reported in Aramoun and Saadiyat, south of Beirut, where at least six people were killed and eight wounded, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. A hotel in Beirut was also reportedly struck.
Meanwhile, life in Tehran has slowed dramatically, with many residents fleeing or remaining indoors amid fears of further bombardment. Security forces and armoured vehicles have been deployed at major intersections, conducting random vehicle checks.
Iran’s claim of “complete control” over the Strait of Hormuz has heightened concerns over global oil and gas supplies, pushing energy prices higher and adding to the economic fallout of the conflict.
With missile exchanges continuing and new fronts opening, the fighting shows few signs of easing, raising fears of a broader regional war with far-reaching consequences.