The war between Iran, the United States and Israel entered its fifth day on Wednesday, with heavy airstrikes inside Iran, Iranian missile retaliation across the region and growing fears of a wider Middle East conflict.
U.S. and Israeli forces have carried out sustained strikes on Iranian military infrastructure since the conflict began late last week, targeting missile launch sites, air defence systems, Revolutionary Guard facilities and command centres across multiple cities.
The strikes followed a series of coordinated attacks that killed several senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, dramatically escalating tensions and triggering Iranian retaliation.
Iran has responded with waves of missiles and drones targeting Israel and U.S. positions in the Gulf, including bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. Several American service members were reported killed in Iranian strikes earlier in the conflict.
Missile exchanges have also struck civilian areas in Israel, while air raid sirens have repeatedly sounded across the country.
The fighting has increasingly spilled beyond Iran’s borders.
In one of the most significant naval incidents of the war, a U.S. submarine sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, killing dozens of sailors and widening the conflict into international waters.
Iran-aligned groups across the region have also launched attacks, raising concerns about a broader regional confrontation involving multiple fronts.
Civilian casualties inside Iran have mounted as airstrikes continue, with rights groups reporting hundreds of deaths since the war began. Iranian officials have accused the United States and Israel of targeting civilian areas, allegations both countries deny.
The conflict has also triggered major global disruption, including rising oil prices, flight cancellations across the Middle East and heightened security alerts around key shipping routes, particularly the Strait of Hormuz.
Diplomatic efforts to halt the fighting have so far shown little progress, with both sides signalling they are prepared for a prolonged confrontation.
The war now threatens to reshape the regional balance of power as international actors watch closely for signs of further escalation.
