Escalating threats from the United States and continuing exchanges of missile and drone attacks across the Middle East suggest there is little prospect of de-escalation in the war imposed on Iran by the US and Israel.
US President Donald Trump has warned that Iran will be “hit very hard”, raising the prospect of even wider strikes as the conflict enters its second week, according to international media.
The warning came as Iranian authorities said more than 1,330 people have been killed since the start of the US-Israeli assault on Iran about a week ago. Tehran says the casualties include civilians killed in strikes on cities and infrastructure across the country.
Trump, speaking in Florida while meeting foreign leaders, defended the military campaign and said the US was providing “a service to the world”. On social media he suggested additional targets were under consideration, saying areas and groups previously not targeted could now face attacks.
The remarks came after Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said Tehran would not capitulate to pressure and insisted Iranian forces would continue defending the country.
In a prerecorded message, Pezeshkian said Iran would avoid attacking neighbouring countries unless strikes on Iranian territory originated from them. He also apologised to regional states that had been affected by earlier missile launches during the fighting.
“Iran will never submit to coercion,” he said, adding that the country’s military operations were aimed at “the origin and source of aggressive actions against the Iranian nation”.
However, the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that all US and Israeli bases and interests in the region would be considered “primary targets” if attacks on Iran continue.
The conflict has rapidly spread across the wider Middle East, with multiple countries reporting missile launches, air defence interceptions and drone attacks.
Iran said it had targeted a US naval installation in Bahrain’s Juffair district with missiles in response to an earlier US strike on a desalination plant on Qeshm Island. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the attack on the plant disrupted the water supply to around 30 villages.
Authorities in Bahrain activated air-raid sirens and urged residents to seek shelter.
Saudi Arabia also reported intercepting two ballistic missiles aimed at Prince Sultan Air Base as well as drones heading towards the Shaybah oilfield. The United Arab Emirates said its air defences were responding to a missile threat, while Kuwait’s National Guard reported shooting down a drone.
Iranian forces also claimed responsibility for striking a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf and launching drone attacks on the al-Dhafra airbase in the UAE, though those claims have not been independently verified.
Meanwhile, Israel said it had detected missiles launched from Iranian territory towards Israeli targets and activated its interception systems.
The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said it had fired rockets at Israeli military bases in northern Israel, including the Ein Zeitim facility near Safed. The group said the attacks were in response to Israeli strikes across Lebanon.
The violence has also taken a heavy toll in Lebanon.
Lebanon’s health authorities say at least 294 people have been killed and more than 1,000 wounded since Israeli attacks intensified earlier this month.
In one of the deadliest incidents reported on Saturday, at least 41 people were killed in Israeli air and ground raids on the town of Nabi Chit in the eastern Bekaa Valley.
Separately, six people — including four children — were killed in an Israeli strike on the town of Shmestar, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
Israel has issued warnings to residents south of the Litani River to evacuate, saying military operations were continuing in the area.
The war has prompted protests and political divisions internationally.
In London, about 5,000 demonstrators marched through central parts of the city calling for an end to US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Among those addressing protesters was former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who warned Britain must not be drawn into “another illegal war”.
Germany’s vice-chancellor Lars Klingbeil also ruled out participation in the conflict, saying he had “great doubts” the war was legitimate under international law.
“We will not participate in this war,” he said.
Meanwhile, Britain confirmed that US forces had begun using UK military bases for what it described as defensive operations aimed at intercepting Iranian missiles.
The widening conflict is already affecting regional economies and security.
Kuwait said it had implemented a precautionary reduction in oil production amid threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy transit routes.
Authorities across several Gulf countries have issued security alerts to residents as missile launches and drone activity increase.
At the same time, thousands of foreign nationals have been leaving the region. The US State Department says about 28,000 American citizens have returned home since the war began.
With air attacks continuing over Iran and retaliatory strikes spreading across neighbouring states, there are few signs that the conflict is nearing an end.
Iran’s military says it is prepared for a prolonged confrontation, while the United States and Israel have signalled that their campaign will continue.
For now, the war appears to be entering a more dangerous phase — one that risks pulling more countries into an already volatile regional conflict.
