Modshtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public since his appointment as Iran’s supreme leader on Sunday.Image: keystone
Almost two weeks after the start of the US and Israel’s war with Iran, attacks from both sides continue unabated. The Gulf region and Lebanon remain under attack.
Mar 12, 2026, 3:14 p.mMar 12, 2026, 3:34 p.m
Iran’s new religious leader and head of state, Moschtaba Khamenei, who was appointed on Sunday, called for revenge for the victims of the war in a first statement read out on state television. The 56-year-old cleric also emphasized that the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, which is important for oil transport and merchant shipping, would continue.
Iran’s armed forces fired a new wave of missiles at targets in Israel, Iran’s Mehr news agency reported. In addition, combat drones were used to attack military targets in Israel, according to a statement broadcast by Iranian state radio. Rocket alarm was triggered in Israel.
Rain of bombs on the metropolis of Tehran
Meanwhile, new bombings by the Israeli Air Force in Iran’s capital Tehran sparked fears of chaos. One of the most violent waves of attacks of the war occurred late on Wednesday evening, as residents of the metropolis reported. According to the information, targets on the open road in the densely populated city were also bombed for the first time.
Tehran: The Council of Experts building after an Israeli rocket attack. 03/03/2026.Image: sc/x.com
According to the Fars news agency, which is close to the powerful Revolutionary Guard, there were several explosions and unspecified “clashes” in Tehran. The agency accused the Israeli foreign secret service Mossad of infiltrating forces into the country.
At the beginning of January, Iran’s security apparatus brutally suppressed mass protests in Iran against the authoritarian leadership. The state’s repressive forces, including the notorious Basij units, are said to have killed thousands of demonstrators. During the attacks, residents of the metropolis again shouted protest slogans from some houses. “Death to the Basij” could be heard on social media recordings.
Energy infrastructure continues to be under attack
Meanwhile, Iran continued its shelling of key energy infrastructure in the region. In Bahrain, Iran attacked fuel depots near the international airport, according to local authorities. In Oman, fuel tanks in the port of Salalah were hit by drones.
The Thai-flagged cargo ship Mayuree Naree in flames after being hit by Iranian missiles in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran, March 11, 2026.Image: keystone
The threat from Iranian missiles and drones has brought commercial shipping in the region to an almost complete standstill since the start of the war. The war is creating the “biggest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market,” said the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The United Arab Emirates said early this morning that air defenses were combating a missile threat. In Dubai, a drone also crashed into a residential building during the night. A fire was brought under control and no one was injured, authorities said.
Saudi Arabia reported overnight that 18 drones had been intercepted and destroyed in the east of the country. The Kuwaiti Defense Ministry said the Gulf state’s air defense intercepted a number of enemy drones that entered the airspace in the north of the country.
War between Hezbollah and Israel in Lebanon continues
There is also no end in sight to the war between Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel. Both attacked each other again that night. According to an Israeli army spokesman, around 200 rockets and 20 drones were fired from Lebanon. Hezbollah, for its part, had previously announced the start of a new operation and claimed several rocket attacks on Israel.
Smoke and flames rise from buildings after Israel carried out an airstrike on Dahiyeh, a suburb south of Beirut, Lebanon, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.Image: keystone
Meanwhile, Israeli forces say they destroyed dozens of pro-Iranian Hezbollah positions in a violent wave of attacks on Lebanon. The armed forces also attacked numerous rocket launchers and dozens of Hezbollah fighters who were reportedly preparing attacks on Israel. According to Lebanese authorities, at least eleven people were killed in the attacks.
Several victims in the Gulf region
The United Arab Emirates has so far been the most heavily targeted by Iran’s attacks in the Gulf region. The air defense there intercepted around 270 rockets, 1,500 drones and 15 cruise missiles. Dozens of missiles and drones also hit targets in the Emirates, including the metropolises of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Six people were killed and around 130 others were injured.
Iran is also heavily attacking the small Gulf state of Kuwait. There, six US soldiers and two local security forces were killed and more than 60 members of the local armed forces were injured. Kuwait says it was attacked with more than 220 missiles and 400 drones. Around 110 missiles and 180 drones have been intercepted in Bahrain so far. Two people were killed. There were also repeated attacks and occasional deaths in Saudi Arabia and Oman.
The number of victims is significantly higher in Lebanon, where, according to official figures, more than 630 people were killed. There are also attacks in Iraq, some of which have resulted in deaths and injuries. (sda/dpa)