Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declared on Sunday that the country’s forces are capable of sustaining an intense war against the United States and Israel for at least six months at the current pace of operations.
The statement came as the conflict entered its second week, with regional fallout widening through drone and missile attacks affecting Gulf states.
The Israeli military reported striking key commanders from Iran’s Quds Force at a seaside hotel in central Beirut popular with tourists. Lebanon’s health ministry said at least four people died in the attack, with an AFP photographer noting shattered windows and charred walls.
Escalating Strikes on Infrastructure
Israel launched fresh waves of strikes across Tehran on Sunday, following earlier precision operations. The military also targeted fuel storage facilities in the Iranian capital used for military purposes.
Tehran accused the US and Israel of hitting an oil depot in the city on Saturday, marking the first reported assault on its oil infrastructure. This contributed to slumping stock markets and surging crude prices.
The Revolutionary Guards spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini said Iran had so far employed first- and second-generation missiles but would soon deploy advanced, longer-range types that are less commonly used.
Regional Repercussions Grow
Saudi Arabia intercepted a wave of drones aimed at targets including Riyadh’s diplomatic quarter. Kuwait reported an attack hitting fuel tanks at its international airport, compounding energy supply concerns. The national oil company announced a precautionary cut in crude production due to threats to the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil and gas transits.
Qatar, the UAE, and Kuwait also reported new missile and drone incidents on Sunday. UAE forces intercepted incoming projectiles, while video footage showed a projectile crashing near Dubai airport. Blasts were heard in Baghdad and Erbil in Iraq on Saturday evening.
Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani accused the Trump administration of miscalculating, likening its approach to attempts in Venezuela. He said the US and Israel are now trapped in a prolonged conflict.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that Tehran would respond if neighbouring countries served as launchpads for attacks or invasions.
Hardline judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei cautioned regional neighbours providing support to adversaries that heavy attacks on such targets would continue.
Defiant Positions Amid Casualties
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to press on with full force to eradicate Iran’s leadership following joint operations that killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last week.
US President Donald Trump attended the return of six American service members killed in a drone strike on a US base in Kuwait last Sunday. He repeated claims that Iran was nearing nuclear weapon capability and suggested troops might secure enriched uranium stockpiles.
Inside Iran, infrastructure and residential damage mounts, with residents expressing growing anxiety and noting heavy security presence. A 26-year-old teacher told AFP, on condition of anonymity, that those without war experience cannot fully understand it.
Iran’s health ministry reported at least 926 civilians killed and around 6,000 wounded as of Friday, figures AFP could not independently verify.
In Lebanon, now drawn into the conflict after Hezbollah’s rocket and drone response to Khamenei’s death, at least 294 people have died in Israeli air strikes over the past week. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned of an impending humanitarian disaster.
Analysts indicate no clear end in sight, with officials suggesting the conflict could last a month or longer.
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