February 28 American and Israeli forces launched a series of strikes against Irantriggering unrest in the Middle East.
Pete Hegseth, Secretary of the Department of Defense, said at a recent press conference, the operation could last up to eight weeks. President Donald Trump himself said at a March 2 press conference that the administration anticipated the operation would last four or five weeks, but that it had “the capacity to last much longer than that.”
This week, Iran responded in turn by attacking Israel, regional US embassies and military bases, and other sites in the Middle East. Iran has bombarded neighboring countries with hundreds of drone and ballistic missile strikes since the operation began. Although many were intercepted, there were casualties in the region and many buildings were damaged, including luxury hotels in Dubai, US military bases and embassies, as well as international airports and seaports.
Israel also began bombing Lebanon, following strikes by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
The Trump administration has given various, sometimes seemingly contradictory, justifications for military action, citing everything from the potential “nuclear threat” to unverified claims that Iran tried to intervene in the 2020 and 2024 U.S. presidential elections. As of March 5, Congress, which alone holds the power to declare war on the United States, had not done so.
Attacks have already disrupted supply chains, creating uncertainty for the sector oil and gas And fertilizer industries, as key infrastructure has been targeted or closed out of an abundance of caution. Maritime traffic is interrupted along the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route.
As the conflict continues to intensify and expand, WIRED is tracking which countries have been affected and how. This article was last updated on March 5.
Iran
As of March 4, Iranian state media estimates that more than 1,000 people have died in the country since the U.S.-Israeli attacks began. Several schools and hospitals were affected, according to at Al Jazeera. Israeli Air Force said it has hit Iran with more than 5,000 munitions since the start of the operation.
Israel
Israel faced retaliatory strikes from Iran. As of March 4, at least 11 people have died and more than 40 buildings have been damaged in Tel Aviv, according to that of Al Jazeera.
Azerbaijan
March 5, Azerbaijan said drone attacks launched from Iran crossed the country’s borders, damaged an airport building and injured two civilians. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said the country’s military forces “have been instructed to prepare and implement appropriate retaliatory measures”, according to Reuters. Iran has denied responsibility for the attacks, according to Al Jazeera.
Bahrain
Missile and drone strikes targeted different locations in Bahrain, including a US naval base, according to the BBC. March 2, Amazon reported that a drone strike occurred in the immediate vicinity of one of its data centers in the country. CNBC later reported that Iranian state media said Iran targeted the data center because of the company’s support for the U.S. military.
Cyprus
On March 2, a drone strike hit a British air base in Cyprus, according to Reuters. This caused limited damage and no casualties. Greece, the United Kingdom and France have provided defensive support to the country, according to a report. Bloomberg report.
Iraq
Since February 28, multiple Iranian strikes have been reported against a U.S. military base near Erbil International Airport, according to the nonprofit monitoring group Armed Conflict Location and Event Data.
Jordan
The Jordanian armed forces have intercepted dozens of missiles since the start of the conflict. At least one Iranian-backed militant group in Iraq has claimed responsibility, according to the Associated Press. On March 2, the American embassy in the country announcement that all of its staff had temporarily left.
Kuwait
Kuwait has endured multiple waves of Iranian missile and drone attacks since February 28. On March 2, the US Central Command said in a statement statement that three US fighter jets were accidentally shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses in an attack involving Iranian planes, missiles and drones.
Lebanon
Israel attacked southern Lebanon after the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah launched rocket and drone attacks against it. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam subsequently banned Hezbollah’s military and security activities, according to Al Jazeera.
Oman
Duqm commercial port in Oman hit by several drone attacks, says Al Jazeera. Omani authorities say at least one oil tanker off the country’s Khasab port Strait of Hormuz was attacked.
Qatar
March 2, QatarEnergy job on X saying it would stop production of liquefied natural gas following a military attack on its operational facilities in the country. He did not attribute the attack to any particular country. On March 3, he job again, saying this would also stop the production of additional products including urea, polymers, methanol and aluminum.
Saudi Arabia
Infrastructure in Saudi Arabia has been targeted with projectiles. On March 3, the US Embassy in Riyadh, the country’s capital, was damaged following an attack. March 4, Reuters reported that one of the largest domestic refineries of Saudi Aramco, the majority state-owned oil company, was the target of an attempted drone attack.
Syria
Tom Fletcher, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief, said that civilians and civilian infrastructure were being attacked in several countries, including Syria.
Türkiye
On March 4, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense announcement that NATO had intercepted ballistic munitions launched from Iran and that fragments of munitions had fallen in Hatay, a province bordering the Mediterranean Sea and Syria. Iran has denied any missile launch towards the country.
United Arab Emirates
As of March 4, UAE Ministry of Defense officials say that the country has intercepted hundreds of drone and missile attacks from Iran. Despite the relatively high interception rate, debris created by the fallout still damaged some areas of the country. In Dubai, the luxury hotel Burj Al Arab was struck by the debris, as well as Palm Jumeirah, an artificial island housing high-end hotels and apartments. March 2, Amazon Web Services announcement that two of its facilities in the country were directly impacted, causing “high error rates and degraded availability.”
Countries evacuating citizens
On March 2, Mora Namdar, US Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs job on X urging Americans to leave several Middle Eastern countries due to “serious security risks.” On March 4, Reuters reported that the U.S. military had offered seats on military transport planes to Americans trying to leave the region.
More than a dozen countries have announced they will evacuate their citizens from the region or sponsor repatriation flights, including the UNITED KINGDOM, Ireland, Germany And Italy.
