TEHRAN/WASHINGTON: A series of missile strikes across the Middle East has intensified regional tensions, while oil prices surged amid fears of a widening conflict. The United States has also announced a $10 million reward for information related to senior Iranian leaders, signaling growing pressure on Tehran.
According to the media agencies, a missile struck a helipad inside the U.S. embassy compound in Baghdad on Saturday, citing two Iraqi security officials. Witnesses reported a column of smoke rising over the compound early in the morning, though the extent of the damage remains unclear.
In Saudi Arabia, an Iranian missile strike reportedly targeted Prince Sultan Air Base, damaging five U.S. refueling aircraft overnight. Iranian hypersonic missiles were also reported to have struck central Tel Aviv, while additional strike claims included areas near Dubai, raising fears of a broader regional escalation.
Separately, the U.S. military confirmed the deaths of all six crew members aboard a KC-135 refueling aircraft that crashed while supporting operations related to the conflict with Iran. U.S. Central Command said the aircraft went down in western Iraq on Thursday following an unspecified incident involving two aircraft operating in friendly airspace, while the second aircraft landed safely.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said three of the six crew members were from the Ohio Air National Guard’s 121st Air Refueling Wing, expressing condolences to their families.
The crash raises the U.S. death toll in Operation Epic Fury to at least 13 service members, including seven killed in combat. Around 140 U.S. personnel have been injured, eight of them seriously, according to Pentagon figures released earlier this week.
The KC-135 Stratotanker, which has been in service for more than six decades, has been involved in several fatal accidents in the past, most recently in 2013. Concerns about the aircraft’s aging fleet have periodically surfaced within military aviation circles.
-Konstantin Corder
