Iran says can fight for months as Israel strikes Beirut hotel
Why it matters: This rapidly escalating conflict threatens global energy markets and regional stability, with major powers locked in a dangerous confrontation.
- Iran's Revolutionary Guards claim the country can sustain an "intense war" for six months against the U.S. and Israel, threatening to deploy "advanced and less-used long-range missiles."
- Israel confirms striking "key commanders" of Iran's Quds Force at a Beirut hotel, killing at least four, and also targeting "a number of fuel storage facilities in Tehran" used for military infrastructure.
- Tehran accuses the U.S. and Israel of striking an oil depot in the Iranian capital, marking the first reported assault on its oil infrastructure, while its security chief, Ali Larijani, suggests the U.S. is "trapped" in a miscalculated conflict.
- Saudi Arabia intercepted drones targeting Riyadh, and Kuwait reported an attack on fuel tanks at its international airport, leading its national oil company to cut crude production over threats to the Strait of Hormuz.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to continue the war against Iran "with all our force" to eradicate its leadership, following joint U.S.-Israeli raids that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
As the conflict between Iran and Israel escalates into its second week, Iran's Revolutionary Guards assert their capacity for a six-month intense war, even as Israel targets Iranian commanders in Beirut and strikes Iranian oil infrastructure. The regional fallout is severe, with Saudi Arabia intercepting drones and Kuwait reporting attacks on its fuel tanks, raising global fears over energy supplies and stability.
