Iran war widens: Militias and Hezbollah join conflict — What we know so far

DUBAI: The war between Iran and the United States and Israel expanded sharply on Monday, drawing in Iranian-backed militias and Hezbollah as airstrikes intensified, regional oil infrastructure came under attack and casualties mounted across multiple countries.

Iran and allied militias launched missiles and drones at Israel and several Arab states, including Kuwait and Bahrain, while Israeli and American warplanes struck missile sites, naval assets and military command centres deep inside Iran.

The Iranian Red Crescent said at least 555 people have been killed in Iran since the start of the US-Israeli air campaign, with 131 cities hit.

US President Donald Trump said Sunday he envisages a four-week military operation against Iran, where American and Israeli strikes have killed the country’s supreme leader and crippled its defense capabilities.

“It’s always been a four-week process. We figured it will be four weeks or so,” he told British newspaper the Daily Mail, the latest of several interviews with media outlets Sunday.

“As strong as it is, it’s a big country, it’ll take four weeks - or less,” Trump said.

In Kuwait City, fire and smoke rose from inside the US Embassy compound after it was struck. Kuwait’s defence ministry also said “several” American warplanes crashed in the country, though it did not specify the cause. The pilots were hospitalised in stable condition.

The US military did not immediately comment.

Washington had earlier warned Americans in Kuwait to take cover.

Hezbollah said it fired missiles from Lebanon into Israel in response to the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and “repeated Israeli aggressions.”

Israel retaliated with heavy strikes across Lebanon, killing at least 31 people and wounding 149, according to Lebanese authorities. The Israeli military ordered evacuations in dozens of towns in southern Lebanon.

Israeli Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo warned: “The strikes continue. Their intensity will increase.”

Iran expanded the battlefield by targeting regional oil facilities, a move that rattled global markets.

Saudi Arabia said drones targeted the Ras Tanura refinery, one of the world’s largest oil export facilities with capacity exceeding half a million barrels per day. Air defences intercepted the drones, but debris sparked fires.

Iran has also threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of global oil trade passes. Several vessels have reportedly come under attack.

Shipping giant Maersk announced it was suspending transit through Hormuz and the Suez Canal for safety reasons.

A pro-Iranian militia in Iraq claimed a drone strike on US troops at Baghdad airport and earlier attacks on a US base in Erbil.

Cyprus said an Iranian drone struck Britain’s RAF Akrotiri base.

Loud blasts were heard in Doha and Manama.

Three people were reported killed in the UAE, and one each in Kuwait and Bahrain.

In Israel, nine people were killed in Beit Shemesh after Iranian missile strikes.

The World Health Organisation called for the protection of civilians and healthcare facilities, saying civilian safety “must be absolute.”

Israel said it carried out “large-scale strikes” in Tehran, targeting military command centres.

The US military said B-2 stealth bombers struck ballistic missile facilities using 2,000-pound bombs. President Donald Trump claimed nine Iranian warships had been sunk and that the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had been “largely destroyed.”

US Central Command later said the IRGC headquarters had been destroyed.

Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Tehran would not negotiate with Washington.

“We will not negotiate with the United States,” he wrote, accusing Trump of plunging the region into chaos.

Britain, France and Germany signaled willingness to work with Washington to curb Iran’s attacks, while China called for an immediate ceasefire and diplomatic talks.

The war is now no longer confined to Iran and Israel.

Iranian-backed militias across Iraq and Lebanon have entered the conflict. Gulf states have been directly struck. Oil infrastructure is under threat. European military assets are involved.

The killing of Khamenei — who led Iran for more than three decades — has created a leadership vacuum in Tehran, raising fears of prolonged instability across the Middle East.

What began as coordinated US-Israeli strikes has now evolved into a widening regional war with multiple fronts, mounting civilian casualties and no clear off-ramp.