WASHINGTON: Middle East tensions escalated further after strikes were confirmed in Bahrain, where a U.S. naval base was reportedly hit in what officials describe as Iran’s first direct attack on an American military installation.
The strike follows U.S.-Israeli military operations inside Iran, after President Donald Trump announced the launch of what he called “major combat operations.” Explosions were reported across Tehran, with missiles striking areas including University Street and the Jomhouri district, according to Iran’s Fars news agency. Smoke was seen rising over parts of the capital.
In a video posted on Truth Social, Trump said the campaign aims to dismantle Iran’s missile infrastructure and cripple its naval forces. He warned that U.S. casualties are possible as the conflict intensifies.
“I do not make this statement lightly. The Iranian regime seeks to kill,” Trump said. “The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost that often happens in war, but we are doing this for the future, and it is a noble mission.”
Trump urged members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and armed forces to lay down their weapons, promising immunity if they comply. “The alternative,” he warned, “is certain death.”
In a further sign of escalating regional instability, Iranian authorities are now calling on their citizens to leave the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Jordan, raising concerns that the conflict could spread across the Gulf.
The escalation follows weeks of heightened tensions and failed diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program, with the latest round ending without a breakthrough.
With hostilities now extending beyond Iranian territory to U.S. military assets in the Gulf and travel advisories being issued, the crisis marks a significant widening of the conflict. The situation remains fluid, with further developments expected.
– Cinderella Mayberry
