Less than a week after the United States and Israel launched military strikes against Iran, the conflict has escalated rapidly, spreading to several countries in the Middle East, with some European countries also stepping up military support.
Hundreds of missiles were launched and intercepted by more than six countries in the Persian Gulf. The scope of the war expanded on March 4, when a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian navy ship in international waters, and NATO air defenses intercepted an Iranian missile headed for Turkey, one of the alliance’s members.
The United States and Israel say a war against Iran is necessary to end Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Opponents, including many members of the Democratic Party, dispute these statements.
The death toll will increase. Americans advised withdrawal
More than 1,200 Iranians, 10 Israelis and six U.S. military personnel have been killed in the conflict, with dozens more caught up in retaliatory attacks in several Middle Eastern countries. Aside from Iran, Lebanon has suffered the next highest number of casualties. The country’s Health Ministry reported that more than 75 people were killed and 500 injured in Israeli attacks carried out in response to Hezbollah’s rocket launches into Israel on March 2.
Iran also attacked U.S. military bases in Iraq, Bahrain, and Kuwait. On March 1, six American soldiers were killed in a drone attack launched by Iranian forces in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait.
The State Department has advised Americans to leave 14 countries in the Middle East, citing “serious security risks.” In addition to Iran and Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates are among the countries listed in the new travel alert.
Which countries were affected by the war?
In addition to the United States, Israel, and Iran, more than a dozen other countries have become directly or indirectly involved in the war in the past week.
Iran responded to the initial U.S. and Israeli attacks by targeting Israel as well as several U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf region.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain are targets of Iranian missile and drone attacks. We’ve stopped hundreds of attacks in the past few days. The same goes for Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq.
Several European allies have transferred military assets to help defend against Iranian drones and missiles. Overseas military bases operated by France and Britain have also been targeted by Iran in recent days, including a British base in Cyprus.
Britain, France and Greece announced they would send air defense forces to Cyprus after a drone attack on the Royal Air Force’s Akrotiri base on the Mediterranean island.
Here’s how the Middle East and Gulf states are being affected by the growing wars.
- Azerbaijan: Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense announced on March 5 that an Iranian drone attacked a local airport in the Nakhchivan enclave on the border with Iran, injuring four people.
- bahrain: The government says it has destroyed more than 180 Iranian missiles and drones since the war began.
- Cyprus: Iran attacked the British air base of Akrotiri on the Mediterranean island on March 2, prompting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to promise to send naval vessels and helicopters with anti-drone capabilities to the area.
- Iraq: According to the Iraqi government, the Iraqi city of Erbil, which is home to a US air force base, has been attacked by Iranian missiles.
- Jordan: According to news reports, Jordan, home of Muwaffaq al-Salti Air Base, where the Air Force’s 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing is based, also intercepted an Iranian missile.
- Kuwait: On March 1, Iranian forces carried out a drone attack on the port of Shuaiba, killing six U.S. soldiers. The American embassy in Kuwait was closed following another attack. No injuries to U.S. military personnel were reported.
- Lebanon: On March 2, Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in a retaliatory attack that killed many and displaced tens of thousands of people from southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut.
- Oman: On March 3, an Iranian drone attacked a fuel tank at Oman’s Duqm commercial port, as Iran intensifies its attacks on energy facilities and transportation hubs in the Gulf.
- Saudi Arabia: The US embassy in Riyadh, located hundreds of miles inland from the Persian Gulf coast, was attacked by two Iranian drones on March 3, causing a fire and some property damage. It also intercepted several drones headed for Prince Sultan Air Base, where U.S. military personnel are stationed.
- UAE: The country’s defense ministry said it had intercepted more than 1,000 drones and missiles and reported more than 70 attacks within its borders. A French base was also attacked, as was Abu Dhabi’s international airport.
- Qatar: The country’s Defense Ministry has reported dozens of Iranian attacks since the war began. Targets also included Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the forward headquarters of U.S. Central Command, but those attacks were thwarted.
Contributed by: Reuters
Kathryn Palmer is USA TODAY’s political reporter. She can be reached at the following address: kapalmer@usatoday.com And with X@Kathryn Purml. Sign up for her daily politics newsletter here.
