The war in the Middle East is now in its ninth day. Israel has struck oil depots in Tehran and launched a new wave of attacks across Iran, which is retaliating against the Gulf states.
On the night of March 8, Israel struck several fuel depots in Tehran used by the Iranian Armed Forces, the Israeli army said. And in the morning, IDF said it had launched a new wave of attacks across Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel and the United States have achieved "almost complete control" over Iranian skies.
He also added that a military operation with the US would "create conditions that will allow the Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands," and called on Iranians to rise up.
The Lebanese capital Beirut was also under Israeli attack. IDF said it had struck commanders of the Quds Force, one of the five branches of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). According to the Israeli army, this unit is a link between the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Iranian regime, and also supports the strengthening and expansion of Hezbollahʼs power.
The strike hit the Ramada Hotel in downtown Beirut, killing at least 4 people and injuring 10. CNN emphasizes the unusual nature of the strike, as Israel usually attacks Hezbollah-controlled neighbourhoods of Beirut, not the center.
In Kuwait, a wave of drones attacked fuel storage facilities at the international airport, the countryʼs military said. Local media also reported that the 22-story skyscraper, which houses the State Institute of Social Security, was under attack.
Meanwhile, the US President Donald Trump denied US involvement in the attack on the school in Iran, instead blaming Iran.
"In my opinion, based on what I saw, it was Iran that did it. We believe it was Iran that did it because, as you know, they are very inaccurate with their munitions. They have no accuracy at all," he told reporters.
At the same time, a few days ago, NBC News wrote that Trump administration officials confirmed at a closed briefing that US troops had struck the area of Iran where the school is located, although they did not directly claim responsibility for the attack.
Amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East, an explosion has been heard near the US embassy in Oslo, CNN reports. The explosion occurred near the entrance to the consular section. It caused minor damage to the building, but there were no injuries.
Whatʼs happening in the Middle East?
On the morning of February 28, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. The Israelis called the operation “Lion’s Roar”, the United States called it “Epic Fury”. The attacks killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and nearly 40 other senior Iranian officials.
Iran responded by launching ballistic missile attacks on Israel and US bases in the Gulf states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE. Some Iranian drones and missiles targeted infrastructure and residential areas in Arab countries. On the first day of the attacks, Iran launched a total of 541 drones.
On March 5, Iran attacked Azerbaijan for the first time — a drone crashed into the terminal building of the Nakhichevan airport. There were injuries. A ballistic missile launched from Iran was also shot down over Turkish territory.
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