[Point Economy] The Middle East is spiraling toward a wider conflict. Iran launched large-scale missile strikes against Israel and U.S. bases across the region, and the United States retaliated with force, sinking Iranian naval vessels.
On the 11th (local time), the BBC reported the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched large-scale missile strikes on major U.S. bases in the Middle East, including Al Udeid in Qatar, Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, and Harir in Iraq.
State news agency ISNA reported the strikes damaged U.S. operational infrastructure, including facilities tied to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. The IRGC called the operation the most destructive since the war began and signaled it would increase the intensity of its reprisals. Reports also indicate attacks on U.S. targets in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have continued.
The United States struck back immediately. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it engaged and neutralized 16 Iranian minelaying vessels shortly after President Trump warned Tehran not to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
The naval clashes have spilled over to commercial shipping. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a container ship near the Strait of Hormuz—about 46 km off the UAE coast—was struck by an unidentified projectile. The crew were reported safe, but the vessel sustained damage, and British authorities have opened a detailed investigation.
Israel continued airstrikes against targets inside Iran and against Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon and Beirut. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used the social platform X to urge the Iranian people to overthrow the ayatollah-led regime and seize their freedom, effectively calling for regime change.
Meanwhile, tensions inside Iran are rising. The national police chief warned that anti-government protesters would be treated as enemies. Iranian refugees fleeing toward the Turkish border told the BBC they feared for their lives during the U.S. and Israeli strikes and described chaotic, harrowing conditions on the ground.
