Reuters reported that Iran continued to launch missiles and drones at targets in the region, while the United States and Israel continued to carry out what the Pentagon described as the most intense strikes inside Iran since the start of the war. The agency reported that Tehran targeted sites it said included a US base in northern Iraq, the headquarters of the US naval command in Bahrain, and a target in central Israel, while it indicated that at least three ships were hit in the Gulf, reflecting Iran's continued ability to respond despite the breadth of the bombardment.
In maritime developments, CENTCOM said that 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels were "eliminated" near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, while the Associated Press reported that Washington announced the destruction of more than a dozen such vessels, as Iran vowed to prevent the export of the region's oil, declaring that it would not allow "not a single liter" to pass to its enemies. The Associated Press also reported that maritime traffic in the strait remained very turbulent and that the number of ships passing through was sharply reduced compared to normal rates.
The Associated Press reported that a projectile hit a Thai cargo ship off the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, setting it on fire, while authorities began searching for three crew members after 20 others were rescued by the Omani navy. The agency added that the British Maritime Trade Operations Center also reported an attack on a container ship off the UAE and another ship hit by a projectile in the Gulf, with crew safety confirmed in one case. Reuters reported that the number of ships reported to have been hit since the war began rose to 14.
In the Gulf, the disruption extended to aviation and civilian infrastructure. Reuters reported that two drones crashed near Dubai International Airport on Wednesday, and that Bahrain moved some Gulf Air and cargo planes to alternate airports to ensure continuity of operations.According to Reuters, the Dubai Information Office confirmed that air traffic continued normally despite the drones, while authorities said four people were injured. The same agency also reported explosions in Bahrain, while the Associated Press reported that Gulf states including Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and the UAE continue to work to intercept Iranian missiles and drones.
Also in the Gulf, the AP reported that Kuwait said it shot down eight Iranian drones, while Saudi Arabia said it intercepted five drones headed toward the Shaybah oil field.In a related context, Reuters quoted sources and experts in the region as saying that airports, hotels, ports, military and oil facilities in Gulf countries have come under Iranian attacks in recent days, damaging economic and tourism confidence in the region. "This is not our war. We did not want this conflict, and yet we are paying the price for it in our security and economy," Reuters quoted Ibtisam al-Ketbi as saying.
Inside Iran, the Associated Press reported that US and Israeli strikes continued on Tehran and other areas, and that photos and footage from the Red Crescent showed damage near the capital's Rasalat Square and the transportation of bodies from the site of the bombing.Reuters also reported that residents in Tehran have come to accept the nightly raids as a daily reality, with hundreds of thousands displaced to the countryside and the air polluted by what the agency described as "black rain" from oil smoke. "There were raids last night, but I didn't feel as scared as before. Life goes on," Reuters quoted a resident named Farshid as saying.
In the Iranian leadership file, Reuters reported that an Israeli intelligence assessment believes that Iran's new leader Mojtaba Khamenei was slightly injured during the joint US-Israeli strikes, and that this may explain his absence from public appearances. The agency added that this assessment was not issued by the Iranian side, while the Associated Press reported that speculation is growing about his health condition after official media talk about being "injured" and not appearing since he took office.These data remained, at the time of publication, within the scope of Israeli sources or media indications, without independent Iranian confirmation.
At the United Nations, the Associated Press reported that the Security Council was preparing to vote Wednesday afternoon on a draft resolution submitted by the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. According to a text seen by the agency, the draft condemns Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Jordan, and calls for an immediate cessation of all strikes and threats against neighboring countries, including through proxies.
Reuters quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that Russia is "in constant contact" with the Iranian side, adding that the country is ready to do what it can "to restore peace and stability to the region." The agency also noted that President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have spoken in recent days with their Iranian counterparts, and that Putin also had a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Monday.
In Europe, Reuters reports that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offered her strongest criticism yet of the US-Israeli war on Iran, calling it part of a "dangerous" trend of interventions that fall "outside international law." At the same time, she stressed that Tehran must not have a nuclear weapon and announced that Rome is providing air defense assets to Gulf states that have come under Iranian attack, noting the presence of thousands of Italian citizens and soldiers in the region.
Reuters reported that the International Energy Agency plans to recommend the release of 400 million barrels of strategic stocks, the largest such move in its history, over at least two months, in an attempt to curb rising crude prices. The agency noted that G7 energy ministers supported the principle of using the reserves, with the move to be discussed at a meeting of the group's leaders on Wednesday. In Washington, the White House tried to calm domestic concerns over rising energy prices, as Reuters quoted spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt as saying: "The recent increase in oil and gas prices is temporary." She also said that the uncle
As for the human and humanitarian toll, the Associated Press reported that Iran said that more than 1,300 people have been killed inside Iran since the start of the war, while the death toll in Lebanon reached 570, and Israel announced the death of 12 people in Israel. The agency also said that the United States lost seven soldiers, and eight others were seriously wounded, while American reports had talked the previous day about about 140 American soldiers who were injured since the beginning of the war, most of whom have returned to duty. The agency also noted that tens of thousands of foreigners have left the Gulf countries, including more than 45,000 Britons, and about 40,000 people have returned to the United States.
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