Israel carried out further strikes in and around Tehran early Friday as Iranians observed Nowruz, the Persian New Year, and the war with Iran neared its fourth week. The strikes came amid a widening campaign of attacks on energy infrastructure across the Gulf that has rattled global markets and raised regional tensions.
A focal point of the escalation was Israel’s bombing this week of the South Pars gas field, an action that prompted public disagreement between U.S. President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump told reporters he had complained to Netanyahu and urged him to avoid targeting Iranian energy facilities again, warning such strikes risk further disruption to global supplies. Netanyahu replied that Israel had acted alone in the South Pars attack and said the country would “hold off on future attacks” at Trump’s request.
In retaliation and parallel operations, Iran has struck multiple oil and gas sites across the region. Tehran targeted major facilities Thursday, including Qatar’s Ras Laffan energy hub. Overnight, Iranian drones struck Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery again, igniting fires in several operational units as firefighters worked to contain the damage; authorities reported no injuries. The United Arab Emirates also reported its air defenses engaged missile and drone threats from Iran, with explosions heard over Dubai as worshippers observed the Eid holiday.
Within Iran, new leadership has signaled an intensifying posture. Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared publicly since succeeding his father and is identified in Iranian accounts as the new supreme leader, issued a rare statement saying Iran’s enemies must have their “security” taken from them following the deaths of senior officials. Earlier strikes killed Iran’s intelligence chief Esmail Khatib, Ali Larijani, head of the Supreme National Security Council, and Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij militia. Israel also announced the killing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ top spokesperson, Ali Mohammed Naini, in an operation early Friday; Israel did not disclose details of how or where he was killed.
Netanyahu used his first press conference since the war began to frame Israel’s campaign as aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities and weakening the industries that enable them. He asserted, without caveat, that Iran “has no ability to enrich uranium” and “no ability to produce ballistic missiles.” Those claims drew immediate pushback from international and domestic sources. International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi told NPR that, despite severe damage to facilities, some material and enrichment capacity would likely remain after the conflict. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid also cautioned that the long-term risk comes from what Iran may be able to rebuild in the future.
European leaders meeting in Brussels called for de-escalation and maximum restraint, urging the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and warning of the broader economic and humanitarian consequences of continued hostilities. The European Council deplored the loss of civilian life and pressed for a moratorium on strikes against energy and water infrastructure as energy prices rose. A joint statement by France, Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan and Canada condemned Iran’s recent attacks on commercial vessels and attempts to block the strait, calling for an end to mine-laying and missile and drone assaults.
As the fighting spills across the Gulf and political leaders publicly spar over strategy and targets, the situation remains volatile. Energy hubs have become front-line targets, senior figures on both sides have been killed, and calls for restraint from international partners have so far not stopped further strikes. The coming days will be critical for whether the conflict continues to widen or whether diplomatic pressure and operational pauses can stabilize the region.