The Middle East conflict entered its third day on Monday, as Iran and Tehran-backed militias launched missile strikes on Israel and several Arab states. One missile appeared to strike the US Embassy compound in Kuwait City. At the same time, Israel and the United States continued air operations against targets in Tehran, as the confrontation intensified with rising casualties and hardened rhetoric.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society reported that at least 555 people have been killed in Iran since the start of US–Israeli strikes, with more than 130 cities affected. Authorities also confirmed 11 deaths in Israel and 31 in Lebanon.
Iranian cleric Alireza Arafi, speaking publicly for the first time since joining Iran’s interim leadership council, expressed hope that a successor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei — who was killed in the joint offensive — would be appointed swiftly.
Key Developments on Day 3
US President Donald Trump said several Arab nations are now seeking to participate in the military campaign after being targeted by Iranian attacks, calling the shift “the biggest surprise” of the conflict. He said those countries had initially planned minimal involvement but are now pressing to take part.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for strikes on Israeli government and military facilities, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office in Tel Aviv, along with security sites in Haifa and east Jerusalem. Netanyahu later appeared publicly, stating that the joint campaign aims to remove existential threats and potentially reshape conditions within Iran.
Amid the escalation, the US military said Kuwait had mistakenly shot down three American F-15E Strike Eagles during a combat mission. All six crew members ejected safely and were reported to be in stable condition. United States Central Command confirmed the incident after footage surfaced showing at least one fighter jet falling.
Central Command also reported that a US soldier injured earlier in Operation Epic Fury had died, bringing the official US death toll to four since strikes began on Saturday.
India recorded its first fatality in the conflict after an oil tanker was struck by an explosive-laden drone boat off the coast of Oman. The explosion killed one Indian crew member, while 21 others were safely evacuated.
Air travel disruption worsened as major hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha remained closed after being targeted. Some Indian and international airlines indicated plans for limited service resumption.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah also launched attacks on Israel, prompting Israeli retaliation in Lebanon that left more than two dozen dead. Additional casualties were reported across the region, including three deaths in the United Arab Emirates and one each in Kuwait and Bahrain.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced that the government had barred Hezbollah from conducting military operations, stating that decisions of war and peace rest solely with the state and rejecting any unilateral actions from Lebanese territory.
The US military said B-2 stealth bombers struck Iranian ballistic missile facilities using 2,000-pound bombs. Trump later claimed that nine Iranian warships had been sunk and that Iran’s naval headquarters had been largely destroyed.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected concerns that the conflict could evolve into a prolonged regional war, saying the mission is focused and decisive, aimed at neutralising Iran’s missile capabilities, weakening its navy, and preventing the development of nuclear weapons.
