Iran hits 9 countries after US‑Israel strike
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- Operation Epic Fury – launched on February 28 as a joint U.S.-Israeli offensive, it killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior IRGC commanders in decapitation strikes.
- Iran – within hours launched hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel and at least nine other countries hosting U.S. forces, including Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Greece, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
- Al Udeid Air Base – personnel in Qatar took shelter as interceptors streaked overhead when Iranian missiles flew over the base.
- Dubai – a waterfront hotel caught fire after debris from an intercepted drone fell onto its upper floors.
- Strait of Hormuz – several tankers were struck near the chokepoint, prompting a spike in insurance premiums and a sharp rise in oil futures.
- Iranian foreign ministry – publicly framed the missile barrages as legitimate responses against all “hostile forces” in the region, expanding responsibility beyond Israel and the United States.
- U.S. Fifth Fleet – naval forces in Bahrain were placed on heightened alert after Iranian drones entered its vicinity.
Why it matters: The missile barrage forces Gulf governments to scramble emergency defenses and inflates shipping insurance, while oil traders see futures rise, meaning regional economies and global energy markets bear the cost; Iran, meanwhile, secures political leverage by forcing the US and its allies into a wider, risk‑laden confrontation.
