The Middle East war continues to escalate, with overnight developments spreading the conflict across borders and drawing in more casualties.
Tehran Hit
Loud explosions shook Iran’s capital on Tuesday, an AFP journalist said, after a night of bombing in the war with the United States and Israel.
The blasts were heard in Tehran city centre, following a night of heavy explosions mixed with thunder and rain.
Israel’s army said it had launched a “wide scale wave of strikes” in the Iranian capital.
Iran Arrests ‘Spies’
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said their forces had arrested 10 “foreign spies” as the war continued.
“Ten mercenary, treacherous elements were identified and arrested,” the Guards intelligence organisation said.
Four were gathering information “on sensitive sites and economic infrastructure” while others were linked to a “monarchist terrorist group.”
Abu Dhabi Strike
Falling shrapnel from an intercepted missile killed a Pakistani national in Abu Dhabi.
The incident took place in the Bani Yas area “following the interception of a ballistic missile by air defences.”
Dubai Alert
Three explosions echoed across Dubai after a missile alert early on Tuesday.
The blasts followed a mobile phone alert to residents to “immediately seek a safe place” over “potential missile threats.”
Beirut Strikes
Lebanese state media said Israel carried out dawn airstrikes on three Beirut neighbourhoods, hitting a residential building.
“Israeli warplanes carried out two airstrikes targeting the Kafaat and Haret Hreik areas. In another raid, the aircraft struck a residential apartment.”
Israel confirmed it started striking Hezbollah targets in the Lebanese capital.
Baghdad Attacks
A drone and rocket attack targeted the US embassy in Baghdad early Tuesday.
“Three drones and four rockets attacked the embassy, with at least one drone crashing inside it.”
A missile strike on a house in Baghdad killed four people, with initial reports suggesting two of the victims were “Iranian advisors.”
Oil and Hormuz
President Donald Trump demanded that US allies help secure the Strait of Hormuz, but European powers pushed back.
Trump criticised the lukewarm response, demanding nations “get involved quickly and with great enthusiasm.”
A drone strike caused a fire at a major oil field in the UAE. The UAE’s state-owned energy giant ADNOC halted loading at their Fujairah facility following repeated strikes.
Lebanon
More than one million people have registered as displaced in Lebanon since war erupted on March 2.
Israeli police said they found missile and interceptor fragments at holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City, including near the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Trump on Iran’s Leader
Trump said he does not know whether Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is still alive.
“We don’t know… if he’s dead or not,” Trump told reporters.
The Bottom Line
Tehran, Beirut, Baghdad, Dubai, Abu Dhabithe war is spreading.
Iran arrests spies. Oil prices soar. A million displaced in Lebanon. And the world watches, waits, and wonders what comes next.