Capitals, March 10 (SANA) – The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran entered its eleventh day on Tuesday amid escalating military operations, mounting threats among the parties involved, and expanding regional confrontations despite conflicting signals about the potential end of hostilities.
As U.S. and Israeli airstrikes continue against Iranian cities and military sites, Tehran has maintained missile attacks toward Israel while also launching drone and missile strikes targeting several Gulf states, raising regional tensions and increasing concerns over global energy security.
Escalating threats over the Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran of a severe response if it attempts to disrupt navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, stating that any effort to halt oil flows through the strategic waterway would trigger strikes “twenty times stronger.”
Trump also claimed that joint U.S.-Israeli operations had destroyed around 80 percent of Iran’s missile launch sites and platforms, asserting that the war had prevented Iran from dominating the Middle East.
Iran rejected those claims. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Tehran would determine when the war ends and announced the launch of the thirty-third wave of its operations targeting Israeli positions while continuing attacks across the region.
Tehran rules out diplomacy
Politically, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would continue missile attacks “as long as necessary,” stressing that negotiations with the United States were no longer an option while military attacks continue.
He added that Washington and Israel had expected a rapid victory but miscalculated the situation. Meanwhile, Iranian Supreme Leader adviser Kamal Kharrazi said diplomacy with Washington was no longer possible and warned that Iran’s armed forces are prepared for a prolonged conflict.
Strikes on Tehran, continued missile exchanges
On the battlefield, Israeli media reported that Israeli airstrikes targeted locations inside Tehran, including facilities linked to Iran’s nuclear program. Iranian missile attacks meanwhile killed two Israelis, raising the death toll in Israel since the start of the war to 15, with more than 2,200 injured.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it had shot down an Israeli Hermes 900 drone in western Iran and warned that future missile attacks could involve warheads weighing at least one ton, signaling a potential escalation in the destructive capability of its ballistic missiles.
Regional fronts widen
The conflict has also spread to multiple regional fronts. In Lebanon, the Israeli army warned residents south of the Litani River of a possible military strike, while Hezbollah militia said it targeted Israeli forces attempting to infiltrate the border town of Houla and launched drones toward the Upper Galilee.
In Iraq, Iran-aligned armed factions said four of their fighters were killed in a strike they blamed on the United States targeting a Popular Mobilization Forces site in Kirkuk province.
Gulf states under pressure
Iranian missile and drone attacks on Gulf countries have continued. In Bahrain, authorities said a woman was killed and eight others injured when a missile struck a residential building in Manama.
Bahraini officials also reported intercepting 102 missiles and 171 drones since the attacks began.
Qatar’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted 17 ballistic missiles and six drones without casualties. Saudi Arabia reported intercepting drones targeting oil facilities and said another drone strike hit a residential building in Zulfi province.
Kuwait also reported downing several drones in different areas, while the United Arab Emirates announced intercepting missiles and drones launched from Iran.
Mounting economic costs
The war’s financial toll is also rising. U.S. reports indicated that the American military used munitions worth $5.6 billion during the first two days of operations alone.
U.S. officials said the administration may soon request additional funding from Congress to sustain the military campaign amid high rates of ammunition consumption.
Concerns of a prolonged war
Amid the ongoing escalation, analysts increasingly warn that the conflict could evolve into a prolonged war of attrition as both sides continue exchanging strikes without signs of a political settlement.
Former U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said two factors would likely determine the war’s outcome: global market reactions and the depletion of missile stockpiles among the parties involved.
With the confrontation widening and military operations intensifying, the region faces a complex and volatile phase that extends beyond Iran and Israel to affect the broader balance of security and stability across the Middle East.
