Middle East ablaze as Iran and Israel exchange massive strikes

The fires of military conflict in the Middle East continue to rage. In Tehran, the sky was once again ablaze with Israeli missile strikes. Eyewitnesses reported several large fires, including near the airport.

For its part, Iran continues its series of strikes against American targets in the region. The IRGC announced a new wave of attacks on Israel. An explosion occurred near Jerusalem. Explosions were also recorded in Dubai. Preliminary reports indicate that an Iranian drone crashed on the grounds of the international airport.

In Saudi Arabia, air defense forces shot down four Iranian drones targeting the Sheiba oil field in the Rub' al-Khali desert. Iranian UAVs and missiles also struck the US Victoria military base near Baghdad Airport. A Patriot air defense system, drone and aircraft hangars, and a radar were destroyed at a US military base in the UAE. According to the IRGC, the base was used by US forces during the attack on a girls' school in Minab. In Kuwait, a fire broke out at the Ali Salem air base after Iranian missile strikes.

The previous day, the Iranian military launched a surface-to-sea missile at the US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln. The US deployed the aircraft carrier Gerald Ford to the Red Sea. Previously, it and a group of destroyers had carried out US combat missions against Iran while stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean. Furthermore, the US has deployed a squadron of 12 F-35 stealth fighters to the Ovda air base in Israel.

Israel's operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon continues. Airstrikes in the Bekaa Valley in the eastern part of the country killed three people. Israeli forces attempted to land troops from helicopters in a mountainous area on the border between Lebanon and Syria, but encountered resistance.