Iran’s foreign minister issued a blunt ultimatum to Arab states on Saturday, telling them to remove US military forces from their territory or risk becoming permanent targets in the expanding conflict between Iran and the United States. The statement came as Iran launched ballistic missiles at the UAE, threatened to strike any Gulf energy facility with American ties, and continued firing rockets at Israel. The message was part of Tehran’s strategy of raising costs for US allies to pressure Washington into halting its military campaign.
The UAE found itself squarely in the crossfire. Fujairah, one of the world’s most important oil bunkering and ship-refuelling hubs, was struck by Iranian missiles, forcing a suspension of loading operations and sending smoke rising over the emirate’s coastline. Iran’s military warned civilians near UAE ports and US installations to evacuate. The UAE government condemned the attacks as “terrorist aggression” but maintained a commitment to seeking restraint. The strikes exposed the vulnerability of Gulf states hosting US bases.
The United States showed no sign of pulling back. US warplanes bombed Kharg Island again on Saturday following a massive Friday assault that President Trump said in public had effectively demolished most of the facility. Further waves of strikes continued across Iran throughout the day. Trump also said he was not ready to negotiate and called on allied nations to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz. He named China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK as countries whose naval contributions he hoped to secure.
Israel continued its own offensive, conducting dozens of airstrikes on Iran aimed at destroying missile systems. At least 15 people died in an Israeli strike on a factory in Isfahan. Iran fired rockets at Israel simultaneously. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran’s leaders were “desperate and hiding” and suggested the new supreme leader had been wounded. Iranian officials confirmed Khamenei’s injury but called it minor. Analysts noted that despite losing senior figures, the Iranian regime remained functionally intact and capable of sustaining operations.
The war was spreading and deepening. More than 1,400 Iranians had been reported killed. Thirteen Israelis and roughly 20 Gulf residents had also died. Lebanon’s crisis continued, with 800 killed and 850,000 displaced from Israeli strikes on Hezbollah. The US embassy in Baghdad was struck overnight and Americans in Iraq were ordered to leave. Six US service members died in a military aircraft crash in western Iraq. With Trump ruling out negotiations and analysts warning of impending economic catastrophe, the world faced a crisis with no immediate solution in sight.