As the US-Israeli war on Iran enters its seventh day, the conflict has escalated dramatically overnight with Israel launching what it calls a “broad-scale wave of strikes” against Iranian regime infrastructure in Tehran — while Iran responded with its largest missile and drone barrage yet targeting Gulf states including Qatar, the UAE, and Bahrain.
The overnight hours between Thursday and Friday brought some of the most intense fighting since Operation Epic Fury began on February 28. Massive explosions rocked several locations across Tehran, including residential areas and the vicinity of Tehran University, as Israeli jets struck what the IDF described as “Iranian regime infrastructure” in the capital.
Israel’s Devastating Overnight Assault on Tehran
The Israeli military confirmed it had begun a “broad-scale wave of strikes” targeting regime infrastructure in Tehran in the early morning hours of Friday (local time). According to reports from Al Jazeera, a military academy was among the locations hit during the overnight raids, with massive explosions lighting up the Tehran skyline.
This represents the latest in what the IDF has now described as more than 10 waves of airstrikes on the Iranian capital since the war began. The strikes targeted military compounds, IRGC headquarters, internal security force installations, and air defense positions across the country — including targets in Tehran, Qom, and Isfahan.
According to CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper, America’s bomber force alone hit nearly 200 targets in Iran — including around Tehran — during a 72-hour period. Cooper described the overarching mission of Operation Epic Fury as eliminating “Iran’s ability to threaten Americans,” noting the operation was being conducted with “lethal precision” from “seabed to space and cyberspace.”
“And in just the last few hours, we hit an Iranian drone carrier ship — roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier — and as we speak, it’s on fire,” Cooper said during a briefing earlier Thursday.
Iran’s Retaliatory Barrage Expands Across the Region
Iran has not gone quietly. According to Iran’s state-owned Fars News Agency, Tehran has fired over 500 ballistic and naval missiles and nearly 2,000 drones since the war began on February 28. Approximately 40 percent of those launches were aimed at Israel, while roughly 60 percent targeted US military positions across the region.
On Day 6, Iran launched what was described as its biggest barrage yet against Qatar, targeted the UAE, and struck a refinery in Bahrain that firefighters scrambled to contain. Missiles launched from Iran were visible streaking across the sky over central Israel on Thursday evening, triggering air raid sirens across Tel Aviv.
But the Pentagon’s assessment is clear: Iran is losing, and losing fast. US officials say Iran’s ballistic missile retaliation capability has decreased by 90 percent, its navy has been effectively wiped out, its production capacity is being demolished, and its proxy forces “are hardly putting up a fight.”
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) confirmed that combined US-Israeli airstrikes have targeted and heavily damaged IRGC police stations, Basij militia bases, and internal security force headquarters across southeastern Tehran — systematically dismantling the regime’s ability to suppress domestic unrest.
The War Spreads: 11 Countries Now Affected
The conflict has now touched at least 11 countries. Iran launched attacks targeting Turkey and Azerbaijan on March 4 and 5, prompting NATO to intercept a missile headed into Turkish airspace — a dramatic escalation that has raised questions about potential Article 5 implications.
In a stunning development, Qatar’s military shot down Iranian bombers approaching its territory, while the Bahrain refinery strike sent shockwaves through global energy markets. Dubai International Airport — one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs — has been largely paralyzed since the war began, with evacuation flights surging across the region as governments scramble to bring their citizens home. The US State Department confirmed that 17,500 Americans have safely returned to US soil.
The growing human toll is staggering. According to CNN, US-Israeli strikes have killed more than 1,200 people in Iran and more than 120 in Lebanon since the conflict began. Six US soldiers have been confirmed dead from Iranian attacks, with the Defense Department releasing the names of five killed in a single incident. Iranian strikes have also killed dozens in Gulf states across the region.
Congress Greenlights Continued Operations
In a critical political development, both chambers of Congress failed to block the president’s war authority. The Senate voted down a War Powers Resolution that would have forced Trump to halt strikes, and the House followed suit with a 212-219 vote that killed Democrats’ effort to constrain Operation Epic Fury.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who announced plans to travel to CENTCOM headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa for a direct briefing from Admiral Cooper, declared that “the mission is advancing decisively.” Hegseth indicated the conflict could continue for weeks — a timeline echoed by CSIS analysts who estimate the first 100 hours of Operation Epic Fury have already cost approximately $3.7 billion.
Trump: ‘I Want to Be Involved in Picking Iran’s Next Leader’
President Trump made his most provocative statement yet on Thursday, declaring that he wants to be personally involved in selecting Iran’s next supreme leader. Trump also reportedly urged Iranian Kurds to launch attacks inside Iran — a call that could dramatically reshape the ground dynamics of the conflict.
In a separate statement, Trump offered Iranian military forces a stark choice: “immunity or guaranteed death.” The message, directed at IRGC commanders and Iranian troops, appeared designed to encourage mass defections as the regime’s military infrastructure crumbles.
Iran’s response has been defiant. Tehran says it is ready for a ground invasion and has rejected all negotiations. Iran’s foreign minister explicitly turned down diplomatic overtures, while military officials vowed “complete destruction” and promised the US would “bitterly regret” the sinking of the Iranian warship IRIS Dena — torpedoed by a US Navy submarine in the Indian Ocean.
Global Shockwaves
The war’s ripple effects are being felt worldwide. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he supported the Israeli-US attack “with regret,” criticizing both Iran’s nuclear defiance and the US-Israeli decision to act without consulting allies or engaging the United Nations. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reportedly urged Trump to link the Iran and Ukraine conflicts during a White House meeting.
China is watching closely. Analysts at multiple think tanks note that Operation Epic Fury is sending shockwaves through Beijing, which has maintained close economic ties with Tehran and relied on Iranian oil imports. Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto has threatened to withdraw from Trump’s “Board of Peace” if it fails to address Palestinian concerns.
As Day 7 unfolds, the war shows no signs of slowing down. With Israeli jets flying uncontested over Iranian territory, the Pentagon claiming air supremacy, and Iran’s retaliatory capability rapidly diminishing, the question is no longer whether Iran’s military can survive this onslaught — but what comes after the regime’s infrastructure is fully destroyed, and who will lead whatever emerges from the rubble.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates throughout the day.