An airstrike in Tehran on Wednesday morning appears to have struck inside the former U.S. Embassy compound, long controlled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and home to an anti-American museum and Basij volunteer force facilities. Witnesses reported blown-out windows on Taleghani Street around the massive compound and believe the strike happened within its grounds. The 444-day 1979 hostage crisis left the embassy under Revolutionary Guard control since American diplomats were held until 1981.
Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported blasts in several areas of Tehran after the Israeli military said it had carried out a “wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure sites of the Iranian terror regime in Tehran.” Iran’s foreign minister accused Israel of bombing a pharmaceutical research and development facility, while the Israeli military said it had hit missile research and weapon-production sites.
Israel blamed Iran for missile launches that prompted air-raid sirens across central Israel; emergency services reported at least 13 people wounded, including an 11-year-old girl in serious condition. Police shared images of missile debris and reported damage at several sites. Israeli media said cluster munitions were used in the attack; both countries have previously accused each other of using such weapons.
Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed a third missile attack on Israel, saying the operation was carried out jointly with Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, though no damage was reported.
The conflict has widened across the Gulf. Kuwait’s international airport suffered an Iranian drone attack that ignited fuel-tank fires, while Bahrain reported a fire at a business facility after what it described as “Iranian aggression.” Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and destroyed several drones. A tanker was struck 17 nautical miles north of Ras Laffan, Qatar, with one projectile causing a fire and another remaining unexploded in the engine room; all crew were reported safe. Earlier, an Iranian strike sparked a fire on a Kuwaiti oil tanker at Dubai Port, also with no injuries reported.
The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations said a vessel off Qatar was hit by projectiles, causing a fire that was extinguished and leaving an unexploded device on board. Gulf states have borne much of Iran’s retaliation for U.S.-Israeli strikes; Tehran has threatened to target regional infrastructure, including energy sites.
President Trump told reporters he expects U.S. operations against Iran to wrap up in “two weeks, maybe three,” saying the U.S. and Iran are exchanging messages and that a formal deal isn’t necessary to end the war. He suggested that once U.S. involvement ends, other countries will “be able to fend for themselves” over the Strait of Hormuz and said reopening the strait was not the U.S.’s responsibility. In interviews and social posts, Trump has alternately warned of further targeting Iran’s power and desalination plants and said the country has been “decimated.”
The closure and disruption of the Strait of Hormuz have driven global fuel prices higher; the average price of gasoline at U.S. pumps topped $4 a gallon for the first time since August 2022. Oil markets were mixed as shipping through the strait remained largely stalled, with benchmark Brent crude rising above $118 per barrel for May delivery while June contracts traded lower.
Wall Street rallied on hopes of de-escalation. Major indices posted strong gains, with the S&P 500 and Dow seeing their best days since mid-2025 as investors reacted to signs the conflict might be nearing an end.
The war is affecting more than oil. Attacks on Qatar’s LNG facilities have halted helium production—Qatar supplies roughly one-third of the world’s helium—threatening supplies used in semiconductors, medical equipment and other industries. Analysts say repairs to damaged LNG infrastructure could take years, compounding global supply strains beyond the immediate energy crunch.
Regional and international responses have been uneven. Spain has barred U.S. aircraft use of its airspace for Iran-related operations, and Italy reportedly denied U.S. bombers landing permission at Sigonella in Sicily. France has been criticized by President Trump for being “very unhelpful” amid reports it limited U.S. aircraft use to non-combat operations. Several NATO members have distanced themselves from the war, prompting calls from some U.S. politicians to reassess the alliance’s value.
Gulf partners have privately urged the U.S. to continue the campaign to further weaken Tehran. British Defense Secretary John Healey announced additional troops and air defenses heading to the Middle East, with more systems deployed to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and jets stationed longer in Qatar.
The United Arab Emirates barred Iranians from entering or transiting the country, according to major carriers, though holders of long-term Golden Visas could still enter. Australia’s prime minister planned a rare national address outlining Canberra’s response and urging fuel-saving measures; Australia also reduced a fuel tax and provided temporary tax relief for small businesses as prices rose.
Domestically, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S.-NATO relationship will need to be “very carefully reexamined” after the war if European allies limit support. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said “upcoming days will be decisive,” claiming increased American firepower and a weakening Iranian military capacity; Hegseth is tentatively expected to testify before the House Armed Services Committee in late April.
Iran announced arrests of 54 people it says were linked to U.S. and Israeli intelligence, accusing them of providing sensitive military information and mislabeling civilian sites as military targets. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also warned it would target 18 U.S. tech and financial companies operating in the Middle East, naming major firms and advising employees and nearby residents to leave. The IRGC described those companies as part of what it called a network enabling strikes against Iran.
Security incidents continue across the region: an American journalist, Shelly Kittleson, was reported kidnapped in Baghdad; Iraq said one suspect was arrested and a vehicle seized. A foreign journalist was also reported kidnapped in Iraq earlier. The State Department warned Americans in Saudi Arabia to avoid places where U.S. citizens gather after reports of threats against such locations.
Iran or U.S.-Israeli strikes have reportedly taken key infrastructure offline. A desalination plant on Iran’s Qeshm island was knocked out, threatening drinking water for the island’s population and illustrating the vulnerability of Gulf states that rely heavily on desalination. Isfahan, long associated with nuclear facilities and highly enriched uranium storage, was struck in an attack that produced a massive fireball; President Trump shared video of the strike. The U.S. previously bombed Isfahan in June 2025 as part of strikes on nuclear sites.
Violence on Israel’s northern front continues. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would maintain forces in southern Lebanon after the war and planned a security zone; he also said homes near the border would be demolished. Fighting in southern Lebanon has killed Israeli soldiers and U.N. peacekeepers; the U.N. mission reported multiple peacekeeper fatalities after explosions destroyed vehicles.
Maritime attacks and threats persist: a Kuwaiti VLCC at Dubai Port was damaged in an Iranian drone strike, and a separate tanker was struck off Qatar. The UKMTO reported a vessel struck north of Ras Laffan. Authorities say there has been no significant environmental impact reported so far for recent strikes, but investigations and response operations continue.
Diplomatic messaging continues amid the fighting. Iran’s foreign minister described U.S.-Iran exchanges as “messages” delivered directly or through regional intermediaries rather than negotiations. The U.S. has signaled a willingness to end military operations without a formal control of the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports, if that helps curtail the conflict’s duration.
The war’s economic and humanitarian impacts are mounting: energy and critical-material supply disruptions, rising fuel prices, attacks on civilian infrastructure, and escalating troop deployments and air defenses across the region. Leaders from multiple countries are preparing public addresses and policy adjustments as the conflict enters its second month.