The war on Iran by the United States and Israel appears to be entering a more dangerous phase, with civilian infrastructure and industrial facilities increasingly becoming targets as the conflict spreads across the Middle East, reports international media.
Analysts say recent strikes on oil storage depots, refineries and water desalination plants signal a shift away from primarily military targets toward broader economic and civilian infrastructure.
The conflict, now in its eighth day, has already left more than 1,300 people dead in Iran, while at least 11 people have been killed in Israel, six US soldiers have died, and 11 people have been killed in Gulf states. In Lebanon, where Israel has launched a ground invasion alongside heavy air strikes, nearly 400 people have been killed, according to the country’s health authorities.
Hassan Ahmadian, an associate professor at the University of Tehran, said the war has entered what he described as a “totally new phase”.
He pointed to attacks on facilities critical to civilian life.
“Yesterday, a desalination plant on Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf was attacked, which provides water to the residents of that island,” he told Al Jazeera.
He also cited overnight strikes on an oil refinery in Tehran and reports of similar attacks across the country.
According to Ahmadian, the pattern suggests the conflict has moved beyond the earlier stage of targeted assassinations and strikes on military facilities.
“We are moving towards a new phase,” he said, noting that Iran has also begun deploying more sophisticated weapons.
Over the past several days, Iran has launched heavy precision-guided missiles at Israeli targets, indicating what he described as a continuing escalation.
The most dramatic US-Israeli attacks have targeted oil storage facilities and refining sites in Tehran, marking the first time such infrastructure has been hit during the conflict.
Huge fires lit up the capital’s skyline overnight, sending thick black smoke into the air.
Residents described scenes of devastation as flames spread through fuel depots and nearby areas.
One resident from Karaj said a bright red flash was followed by a powerful shock wave.
“It started with a red light that lit up everything followed by a wave that jolted the door,” he said. “Then the sky lit up again and a huge red cloud appeared.”
Another resident said the city had been blanketed in smoke.
“You can smell the burning,” she said. “I can’t see the sun. There is a horrible smoke.”
Iranian officials warned that attacks on fuel depots could create serious environmental consequences.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the strikes were releasing hazardous materials into the air.
“By targeting fuel depots, the aggressors are releasing toxic substances, poisoning civilians and devastating the environment,” he said.
Academic Foad Izadi also warned that contamination from burning oil could affect water supplies if polluted rainfall entered reservoirs around Tehran.
Water infrastructure has also been drawn into the conflict.
Iran said the US had bombed a freshwater desalination facility on Qeshm Island, which provides drinking water for residents.
In a separate incident, Bahrain said an Iranian drone strike damaged a desalination plant in the country.
The attack raised alarm across the Gulf, where many countries rely heavily on desalination plants for drinking water.
Missile launches and drone attacks have continued across the Middle East.
The Israeli military said it had detected missiles launched from Iran toward Israeli territory and that air defence systems were working to intercept them.
Rescue officials later said three people were injured by shrapnel in Israel.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it had destroyed four radar systems connected to US THAAD missile defence system batteries over the past 24 hours using precision-guided missiles.
The group also said it had targeted military sites in Tel Aviv and Beersheba as well as a US-linked airbase in Jordan.
Meanwhile, Gulf countries reported additional Iranian attacks.
The United Arab Emirates said it had detected more than 1,400 Iranian drones and missiles during the conflict, while Kuwait reported multiple missile launches.
The war has also intensified in Lebanon.
Israeli aircraft struck a hotel in Beirut, killing at least four people, while further air strikes targeted villages across southern Lebanon.
The Lebanese Health Ministry said the number of people killed in Israeli attacks had risen to at least 394, including 83 children, with more than 1,100 wounded.
Israeli forces have also advanced into parts of southern Lebanon after launching a ground invasion earlier in the week.
Two Israeli soldiers were killed during fighting with Hezbollah, the Israeli military said.
At the same time, Hezbollah said it had fired missiles at Israeli military targets including a naval base in Haifa.
Regional tensions are growing as governments respond to the expanding conflict.
Lebanon’s foreign minister Youssef Raji condemned Iranian strikes on several Arab countries and called on Hezbollah to surrender its weapons, arguing that the group’s military actions did not represent the Lebanese state.
Arab states also discussed the attacks during an emergency ministerial meeting of the Arab League.
Meanwhile, Iran’s leadership faces uncertainty after reports that an assembly of experts has reached a preliminary consensus on selecting a successor to Ali Khamenei, though officials say the process is still ongoing.
The conflict is also raising fears of global economic disruption.
Analysts warn that damage to oil facilities and shipping routes could push fuel prices higher worldwide if the conflict continues.
Meanwhile, diplomats across Europe and the Middle East have called for de-escalation.
Even so, military strikes and missile launches continued across several fronts, suggesting the conflict may continue to intensify in the coming days.
