WASHINGTON: Explosions rocked key cities across the Middle East on Tuesday, including Tel Aviv, Tehran, Qom and Beirut, as the US-Israel military campaign against Iran entered its fourth day, triggering sharp volatility in global financial and energy markets.
Iranian media reported that Israeli and US strikes targeted the Assembly of Experts building in Qom — the clerical body responsible for selecting the country’s supreme leader. Footage broadcast by local outlets showed significant structural damage, though there were no immediate reports of casualties. The Mehr news agency stated that the building was not currently being used for official meetings, while Tasnim reported that the assembly’s headquarters in Tehran had also been struck earlier.
Tehran witnessed multiple explosions overnight, with the Israeli military claiming it had hit more than 10 headquarters of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, along with facilities linked to the Quds Force. Israeli officials later said they had also targeted the headquarters of Iran’s state broadcaster.
Iranian authorities reported strikes on Mehrabad Airport, which handles domestic flights, and renewed attacks on the Natanz nuclear facility, previously a flashpoint in tensions between Tehran, Washington and Tel Aviv. The Iranian Red Crescent said the death toll from the ongoing attacks had reached 787.
The Fars news agency reported that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would be laid to rest in Mashhad, his hometown, at the Imam Reza shrine. No funeral date was announced.
Overnight, Iranian missiles struck central Israel, with impact sites reported in Tel Aviv. Israeli emergency services said three people sustained light injuries, while police confirmed several areas were affected by munition fragments.
US President Donald Trump said he ordered US forces to join Israel’s offensive, asserting that Iran was preparing to target American assets. “It’s something that had to be done,” he told reporters during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. His remarks appeared to diverge from earlier comments by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said the US acted pre-emptively after anticipating retaliation following Israeli action.
Rubio stated that Washington was not currently planning a ground invasion, though such options remained available. He added that US objectives could be achieved without deploying ground forces.
Meanwhile, the US State Department urged American citizens in 15 Middle Eastern countries to depart immediately due to “serious safety risks.” The advisory covered Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the UAE, Yemen, and the Palestinian territories. The department advised travellers to use commercial means, noting that government-assisted evacuations were not available.
The move drew criticism from US lawmakers, who argued that issuing evacuation advisories amid widespread airspace closures reflected inadequate planning.
Separately, the US ordered the departure of non-emergency personnel and their families from several regional postings and temporarily closed diplomatic missions, including in Kuwait. The measures followed a drone attack on the US Embassy in Riyadh earlier in the day, which caused minor damage and a limited fire.
Elsewhere in the Gulf, drones struck a fuel tank in Oman and debris from an intercepted drone hit an oil storage area in the UAE. Additional explosions were reported in Manama and Doha as Iran broadened its retaliatory actions.
The escalation has intensified concerns over potential disruption to global energy supplies, sending oil prices higher and deepening uncertainty in international markets.