The war involving the United States, Israel and Iran intensified on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump encouraged Iranian Kurdish forces in Iraq to launch attacks inside Iran, widening the conflict across the Middle East.
Speaking in an interview, Trump said he would support Kurdish militias entering Iran from neighbouring Iraq to target Iranian security forces. The comments came days after airstrikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, further escalating hostilities.
Meanwhile, Israel said it had launched a “broad-scale” wave of strikes against infrastructure targets in Tehran, as Iran intensified retaliatory attacks across the region.
Qatari officials said Iran launched drones at the U.S. military base at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American base in the Middle East. Authorities reported no casualties from the attack.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it also targeted the Ramat David Airbase in Israel, a U.S. military facility at Al-Adiri Camp in Kuwait, and a base hosting U.S. troops in Erbil, Iraq.
The conflict, now in its seventh day, has spread beyond Iran and Israel, affecting several countries including Azerbaijan, Cyprus and Turkey. Azerbaijan warned it would retaliate after Iranian drones reportedly crossed into its territory and injured four people.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Saeed Khatibzadeh, described the conflict as an “existential war” for Tehran, saying the country would respond to attacks wherever they originate.
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington’s objectives remained limited to destroying Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities and preventing it from developing nuclear weapons, despite Trump’s remarks about influencing Iran’s future leadership.
The war has also had a significant economic impact, with global oil prices surging and financial markets reacting to disruptions in energy supplies and international shipping routes.
