The war in the Middle East widened further over the past 24 hours, with missile interceptions stretching from Turkey to Saudi Arabia, naval clashes in the Indian Ocean and mounting pressure inside Iran itself. Nato air defences shot down an Iranian missile heading toward Turkish airspace, Saudi forces intercepted cruise missiles near Riyadh, and reports emerged that Kurdish militants may be preparing to exploit the conflict along Iran’s western border. Taken together with continuing Israeli and American airstrikes across Iran and escalating fighting in Lebanon, the developments suggest the confrontation is steadily spreading.

Tens of thousands of residents have fled Tehran since the escalation began

Tens of thousands of residents have fled Tehran since the escalation began

Israeli and American aircraft continued striking targets across Iran throughout Wednesday, with attacks focused heavily on missile launch sites and military infrastructure. Analysts say the pattern of strikes indicates a concerted attempt to dismantle Iran’s ballistic missile network, which has formed the backbone of Tehran’s retaliation since the war began five days ago. Western officials say the campaign appears to be degrading Iran’s ability to launch large-scale missile barrages.

Speaking at the Pentagon, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the joint US–Israeli operation had already struck more than 2,000 targets inside Iran and was entering a more intensive phase. He said the campaign now involves roughly twice the air power used during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, underscoring the scale of the aerial offensive under way. Hegseth........

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