International, March 3: West Asia moved closer to a broader regional war on Tuesday, March 3, after Israel launched simultaneous strikes on Tehran and Beirut and a drone attack targeted the United States Embassy in Riyadh, sharply escalating an already volatile confrontation. The surge in hostilities follows Washington’s Operation Epic Fury and subsequent retaliatory actions by Iran, drawing multiple Gulf nations into the expanding conflict.
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed in a post on X that it was carrying out “simultaneous targeted strikes” on military objectives in Tehran and Beirut. The move represents a significant widening of Israel’s military operations, directly targeting Iranian territory while continuing its engagement in Lebanon.
At the same time, the United States Embassy in Riyadh was struck in a drone attack, according to reports. The incident led to the immediate suspension of US consular services in Saudi Arabia, signalling rising risks to American diplomatic personnel in the region.
Casualties among US forces also mounted, with two additional American soldiers reported killed in Operation Epic Fury, bringing the total number of US fatalities to six. In response to escalating security concerns, the US embassy in Iraq directed non-emergency government staff to depart and barred the use of Baghdad airport.
The confrontation further spilled into neighbouring Gulf states. Bahrain reported intercepting a large wave of incoming projectiles. Abdulla bin Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Bahrain’s ambassador to Washington, stated that the country’s air defence systems neutralised 70 Iranian ballistic missiles and 59 drones aimed at its territory.
The United States Central Command confirmed that US forces were conducting sustained strikes on Iranian military infrastructure, including facilities associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as part of the broader Operation Epic Fury campaign intended to weaken Tehran’s military capabilities.
Iran, for its part, claimed responsibility for launching a large-scale missile and drone assault on a US air base in Bahrain. According to Iranian statements, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted the Sheikh Isa Air Base in the early hours of Tuesday, asserting that 20 drones and three missiles struck the facility, causing extensive damage and igniting fuel storage tanks.
With direct exchanges now involving Israel and Iran, attacks on US diplomatic sites, and Gulf states engaged in active defence, the crisis has entered a perilous new phase. The widening arc of conflict—from Tehran and Beirut to Riyadh, Iraq and Bahrain—has heightened fears of a full-scale regional war with far-reaching global implications.
