Iran Dramatically Expands the Battlefield on Day 12 of Operation Epic Fury
On the twelfth day of the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, the conflict took a dramatic and dangerous turn. Iran launched ballistic missiles into Qatari territory, coordinated a joint strike operation with Hezbollah against Israeli cities, and attacked commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz — signaling that Tehran is willing to drag the entire Gulf region into the fight.
Iran Strikes Qatar: Nine Ballistic Missiles Fired at Gulf Ally
In one of the most provocative escalations yet, Iran launched nine ballistic missiles and a number of armed drones at Qatar on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Qatar’s Ministry of Defense confirmed it intercepted the incoming threats, with Euronews journalists on the ground in Doha reporting clouds of smoke visible above the city from the interceptions.
The attack marks a stunning escalation against a Gulf state that had previously tried to maintain channels of communication with Tehran. Qatar reportedly participated in strikes against Iran earlier in the conflict after Iranian forces attempted to target Doha’s international airport. Channel 12 in Israel and multiple Western outlets reported that Qatar even shot down two Iranian Su-24 bombers during that earlier exchange.
“The Ministry of Defense of State of Qatar announces that armed forces intercepted missile attack which targeted State of Qatar,” the Qatari defense ministry stated on social media platform X.
The Qatar strike underscores Iran’s strategy of widening the war beyond Israel and U.S. military bases to pressure Gulf nations that have cooperated with the American-led coalition.
Iran and Hezbollah Unleash Coordinated Assault on Israel
In what the IRGC described as a “joint and integrated operation,” Iran and Hezbollah launched a synchronized assault on Israeli territory on Tuesday night. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed the attack involved missiles targeting Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa, as well as U.S. military installations in Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Hezbollah simultaneously fired approximately 150 rockets from Lebanon into northern Israel, with reports of deadly cluster munitions being used against civilian areas — a major escalation that national security experts say marks Hezbollah’s full entry into the war alongside Iran.
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed missiles were launched from Iran toward Israeli territory, triggering alerts across multiple regions. Israel’s Home Front Command issued emergency alerts to mobile phones, instructing residents to immediately enter protected spaces.
“Defense systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the IDF said in a statement. “The public is requested to exercise responsibility and act in accordance with the directives — they save lives.”
This is the first time Iran and Hezbollah have conducted a fully coordinated joint military operation against Israel since Operation Epic Fury began on February 28.
Strait of Hormuz Turns Into a War Zone
The maritime dimension of the conflict continued to intensify on Day 12. Two foreign tankers carrying Iraqi fuel oil were attacked by Iranian boats laden with explosives near the Strait of Hormuz, killing one foreign crew member. Iraqi port security officials told Reuters that 25 crew members were evacuated, with fires still burning on both vessels.
A separate cargo ship was struck by a projectile north of Oman in the strait, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center. The crew worked to evacuate the burning vessel. Another attack targeted a ship off Ras al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates.
In response to the Hormuz crisis, 32 nations agreed to release a record 400 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves in an unprecedented effort to stabilize global energy markets. About one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas passes through the narrow strait, and Iran’s mining and attack operations have caused severe disruptions to global shipping.
U.S. Central Command previously confirmed it destroyed 16 Iranian minelaying vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, with President Trump warning that more strikes would follow.
Pentagon Confirms 140 U.S. Troops Wounded, 6 Killed
The Pentagon confirmed Tuesday that approximately 140 American service members have been wounded — eight of them severely — in the first 10 days of Operation Epic Fury. Six U.S. service members were killed in an Iranian drone strike on a tactical operations center in Kuwait.
Iran’s retaliatory strikes have hit military and civilian infrastructure across multiple countries, including Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. An Iranian drone even struck Britain’s Akrotiri military base on Cyprus.
Despite these losses, Pentagon spokeswoman stated that Iran’s ballistic missile attacks are down more than 90 percent and drone attacks have decreased by approximately 85 percent since the start of the operation — a sign that sustained coalition strikes are degrading Tehran’s offensive capabilities.
B-2 Bombers Target Iran’s Missile Production
The U.S. escalated its own campaign on Day 12, deploying B-2 stealth bombers to strike Iranian missile production facilities and infrastructure. The White House announced plans to systematically dismantle Iran’s missile manufacturing capability.
Satellite imagery confirmed that coalition forces struck the Shahed Aviation Industries Production Facility in Isfahan — the factory that produces Iran’s Shahed-136, Shahed-129, and Shahed-171 drones, which have been used extensively against coalition targets and Gulf state infrastructure.
U.S. Central Command reported that American forces have now attacked more than 5,000 targets since Operation Epic Fury began on February 28.
Ukraine Sends Drone Specialists to Protect U.S. Bases
In a surprising development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that Ukraine dispatched interceptor drones and a team of drone warfare specialists to help protect U.S. military bases in Jordan at Washington’s request. Zelenskyy told The New York Times that the request came on Thursday and Kyiv responded the next day.
“We reacted immediately. I said, yes, of course, we will send our experts,” Zelenskyy said.
The move highlights how Ukraine’s hard-won expertise in drone warfare — developed over years of fighting Russia — is now being leveraged in a completely different theater.
Russia Advising Iran on Drone Tactics
A Western intelligence official told CNN that Russia is providing Iran with specific advice on drone tactics, helping Tehran target U.S. and Gulf nation assets more effectively. The revelation adds another layer of geopolitical complexity to the conflict and raises questions about the extent of Moscow’s involvement.
New Supreme Leader, Same Defiance
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei — the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the initial strikes on February 28 — as the country’s new supreme leader. President Trump told Fox News he was “not happy” about the appointment.
Reports indicate the new supreme leader suffered a fractured foot and other injuries, likely from ongoing strikes. Despite the devastating military campaign against it, Iran has spurned two ceasefire messages from Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, with Tehran’s leaders reportedly believing they are not losing the war and sensing growing political pressure on the U.S. president.
Trump, for his part, declared that the U.S. has “got to finish the job,” while also suggesting the conflict could be “short-term.”
What Comes Next
As Operation Epic Fury enters its second week, the conflict shows no signs of slowing down. Iran’s strategy of widening the war — dragging in Gulf states, attacking global shipping, and coordinating with Hezbollah — is designed to raise the cost of the campaign for the U.S. and its allies.
The State Department urged all Americans in the Middle East to consider departing the region, noting that commercial flights out of Kuwait have been suspended due to missile and drone threats.
With Congress demanding public hearings on war goals, U.S. casualties mounting, and global energy markets in turmoil, the political and military pressures on all sides are intensifying by the hour.