A missile launch from Lebanon towards Israel. Photo Reuters / Gil Eliyahu.
- Iran has begun missile and drone attacks on Arab states housing American military bases and has restricted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global oil trade.
- Donald Trump, the President of the United States, stated his readiness to provide insurance for tankers operating in this region, and that the U.S. Navy would escort them if necessary.
- As threats to Middle Eastern oil supplies emerged, global stock markets showed negative dynamics, as investors began to fear a new energy crisis and rising inflation.
- In Lebanon, Iran's allies from "Hezbollah" attacked Israel, prompting retaliatory airstrikes from the Israeli side and the strengthening of ground positions in the south of the country. The Syrian Ministry of Defense reported measures to reinforce the border with Lebanon.
- Trump noted that American armed forces struck numerous maritime and aviation targets in Iran, emphasizing that "almost everything was destroyed."
- According to Iranian sources, dozens of people have died in the region as a result of U.S. and Israeli attacks, including 787 Iranians, among them 165 schoolgirls.
- Iranian drones attacked the U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia, and earlier an attack was carried out on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Kuwait. In response, Washington closed both embassies and ordered the evacuation of some personnel and their families from several Middle Eastern countries.
- Iranian media reported the complete destruction of the building of the Iranian Assembly of Experts, which is authorized to elect a new Supreme Leader in the event that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei leaves his post.
- Leaders of Israel and the U.S. hope that the attacks may provoke internal unrest in Iran; however, according to Reuters, there are currently no signs of destabilization in the country.
- Trump also mentioned that he ordered American forces to join Israel's strikes on Iran, believing that Tehran was preparing for an attack. This statement contradicts the version presented by the U.S. Secretary of State regarding the reasons for the conflict's onset.
- Additionally, the U.S. President threatened to halt trade with Spain due to Madrid's refusal to grant access to its military bases for operations against Iran.
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On February 28, Israel and the United States carried out strikes on Iran. Donald Trump announced his intentions to destroy the nuclear program of the Islamic Republic.In response, Iran began striking Israel and other Middle Eastern countries where American military bases are located. The strikes targeted Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai (UAE), as well as Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).
As a result of the U.S.-Israeli operation, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed, after which his wife, Mansure Khojasteh, died from her injuries.
Donald Trump stated that the military operation in Iran would last about four weeks. A jihad was declared against the U.S. and Israel in Iran, with authorities emphasizing that no negotiations would take place.
The situation in the Middle East is affecting the entire world, including Kyrgyzstan. Currently, thousands of tourists are stranded in the UAE. Contact information for embassies and consulates for Kyrgyz citizens abroad is available here.
