Fresh airstrikes and drone attacks shook Iran and several Gulf countries on Friday as fighting between Israel and Iran intensified, raising fears of wider regional instability and potential global economic repercussions.
The conflict, which erupted on 28 February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, has rapidly spread across the region, drawing in international powers and triggering a significant oil market shock.
AFP journalists reported unusually powerful explosions in Tehran on Friday morning, with black smoke rising over the city. Israel’s military said it had targeted more than 200 sites in western and central Iran in the past 24 hours, shaking residential areas and disrupting daily life. Residents told AFP anonymously that many cities are in ruins, with shortages of cash and essential supplies.
The United Nations refugee agency estimates that up to 3.2 million people have been displaced within Iran since the conflict began. Iran’s health ministry reported more than 1,200 deaths as of 8 March, though this figure has not been independently verified. In response, Iran has launched multiple drone and missile strikes against neighbouring countries hosting US military assets.
Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said its forces intercepted dozens of drones, including one targeting the capital’s Diplomatic Quarter. In Dubai, drone attacks caused plumes of black smoke over the skyline. In Oman, two people were killed by falling drone debris, while sirens sounded at Turkey’s Incirlik airbase, a key NATO facility hosting US troops.
The war’s regional impact continues to grow. Emmanuel Macron announced the death of France’s first soldier in the Erbil region of Iraq. While details were not provided, France’s military said drones had struck a base where troops were engaged in counter-terrorism training alongside Iraqi forces.
Earlier, a pro-Iranian group in Iraq, Ashab al-Kahf, warned that French interests were potential targets following the arrival of a French aircraft carrier, although no claim of responsibility was made.
Elsewhere in Iraq, a US refuelling aircraft crashed. The US military said the crash was “not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” but Iran’s military claimed an allied group in Iraq had shot it down with a missile, killing all crew members.
The escalating conflict continues to threaten civilian safety, displace millions, and disrupt regional stability, with experts warning that the war could further impact global energy markets.