Iran launched a broad wave of missile and drone attacks across the Gulf on Wednesday, targeting energy infrastructure and shipping routes, while Israel and the United States carried out retaliatory strikes across the region. The rapidly escalating confrontation has spread across multiple countries, raising fears of a wider Middle East conflict and threatening critical global energy supply routes.
Iranian drones and missiles target Gulf states
Iranian forces fired drones and missiles toward several Gulf countries early Wednesday, targeting oil infrastructure and military positions across the region.
Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry reported that its air defences destroyed five drones heading toward the Shaybah oil field in the Empty Quarter desert—one of the kingdom’s major oil installations. Saudi authorities also confirmed that two additional drones were intercepted in the Eastern Province, a key centre for the country’s oil production.
Kuwait announced that it had downed eight drones over its territory, preventing the unmanned aircraft from reaching potential targets in the small but strategically important oil-producing state.
In Bahrain, authorities activated national warning sirens as Iranian projectiles approached the island kingdom. The alert came just a day after an Iranian strike hit a residential building in the capital Manama, killing a 29-year-old woman and injuring eight other civilians.
The attacks mark one of the broadest Iranian strike waves across the Gulf in recent years.
Shipping routes and energy infrastructure under threat
The escalation also reached the world’s most important maritime energy corridor. In the Strait of Hormuz, a projectile struck a container ship off the coast of the United Arab Emirates early Wednesday.
UAE officials confirmed that their air defence systems were working to intercept incoming Iranian fire, although the full extent of the damage to the vessel remains unclear.
The Strait of Hormuz handles a significant share of the world’s oil shipments, making any disruption to the corridor a major concern for global energy markets.
The United States military reported that it had destroyed 16 Iranian vessels suspected of laying naval mines near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, signalling rising tensions around the strategic waterway.
Israel under fire as Lebanon strikes intensify
At the same time, Israeli cities were repeatedly placed on high alert as the military warned that Iran had launched missiles toward Israel. Residents across several regions were driven into bomb shelters as air defence systems attempted to intercept incoming projectiles.
Meanwhile, Israel intensified its military campaign in neighbouring Lebanon. Israeli strikes hit several areas across the country, including a major apartment block in central Beirut, which was set ablaze following the attack.
Earlier airstrikes in southern Lebanon reportedly killed five people in the Nabatieh district and two others in the Tyre district, according to local reports.
The strikes form part of Israel’s broader military operations targeting Iranian-aligned forces operating in Lebanon.
Regional conflict widens rapidly
The latest exchanges highlight the widening geographic scope of the conflict, which now involves multiple Gulf states, Israel, Lebanon and US military assets across the region.
In Iraq, a drone struck a major US diplomatic facility near Baghdad International Airport, underscoring the growing risks faced by American installations throughout the Middle East.
Diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the crisis have so far struggled to gain traction, while military activity continues to intensify across several fronts.
With attacks now affecting both energy infrastructure and key shipping routes, global markets and governments are increasingly concerned that the confrontation could escalate into a broader regional war.
Newshub Editorial in Asia — March 12, 2026
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