Day 3 of US-Israel War with Iran: Gulf Tensions Escalate Amid Strikes and Evacuations

The Middle East remains on high alert as the US-Israel conflict with Iran enters its third day, with attacks and counterattacks spreading across the Gulf and Levant.

President Donald Trump told reporters that a “big wave” of US strikes against Iran is still forthcoming, outlining objectives to neutralize Iran’s missile capabilities, dismantle its navy, halt nuclear ambitions, and stop the arming of militant groups.

Iran and its regional proxies have intensified retaliatory attacks on US allies. The US Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was targeted by suspected Iranian drones, though the Saudi Defense Ministry reported only minor material damage and no casualties. In Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar, authorities reported intercepting hundreds of missiles and drones in the past 72 hours, reflecting the scale of the conflict.

Israel has continued strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Authorities issued evacuation orders for dozens of villages in southern Lebanon and for parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs after airstrikes targeted Hezbollah command centers and affiliated media outlets. Two drones entering Israeli airspace from Lebanon were intercepted by the Israeli Air Force. Hezbollah, in turn, confirmed launching drones into Israel in retaliation.

The war has also inflicted cultural damage. Iran’s Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, suffered damage from a US-Israeli strike, although many artifacts had been moved to secure locations earlier.

Efforts to negotiate a nuclear deal collapsed prior to the outbreak of hostilities. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said negotiations in Geneva, involving Trump and Jared Kushner, failed to prevent escalation, as Iranian officials rejected proposals for a decade-long halt to uranium enrichment.

The US State Department has urged all American citizens to leave the Middle East immediately. Trump emphasized that Iran’s attacks on Arab nations have been the “biggest surprise” of the war, while Iran’s foreign minister mirrored the sentiment, stating that “the American people deserve better and should take back their country.”

As the conflict escalates, civilians across the region face growing disruption and uncertainty, with governments scrambling to defend urban centers, energy infrastructure, and military installations from missile and drone attacks.