A seventh US serviceman has died in the ongoing US/Israel versus Iran war in the Middle East with the Persian nation continuing to launch missile and drone attacks on its neighbours. The war, which began last weekend with an aerial bombardment of Iran by the US and Israel enters its 10 day today with no sign of de-escalation by the warring parties.
The US soldier succumbed to his injuries yesterday after he and six others were hit on the first day of the crisis when a drone hit their base in Saudi Arabia. His death actually makes it the eighth US service member to have died since the crisis started with the eighth person being lost to what officials said was a medical emergency.
In some of the latest attacks, Bahrain was forced to declare force marjour after some of its oil facilities were hit by Iranian drones and missiles; while at least 32 people were wounded, four seriously when Iranian drone strikes hit Sitra, about 5 kilometres south of the capital in the early hours of yesterday, The attacks targeted civilian residential areas close to energy infrastructure and “caused significant damage,” according to the kingdom’s National Communication Centre (NCC). Children are among the wounded, including a two month-old infant, two young boys and a 17-year-old girl, it added.
In the United Arab Emirates, a CNN team on the ground in Abu Dhabi reported loud booms yesterday morning and said it was some of the loudest bangs they’ve heard since the start of the war. The country’s disaster management authority issued an alert saying air defence systems were responding to a missile threat. In Kuwait, a drone was shot down by Kuwait’s National Guard early yesterday “at one of the sites under its protection.”
The force said it shot down the drone “as part of efforts to secure vital facilities.” While in Qatar, its armed forces intercepted a missile attack yesterday morning, the Ministry of Defense said in a post on X. On its part, Saudi Arabia said it downed four drones that were heading towards one of its oil fields. Meanwhile, Israel said it launched new strikes on Beirut and central Iran, while Tehran announced new missile launches hours after it named its new leader. Trump said he will decide, together with Israel, when the war will end.
Asian markets sank yesterday as investor jitters deepened over the ongoing war in the Middle East, which sent oil prices to a four-year high and threatened import-dependent major economies in the region. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index tumbled 7% in the early hours of trading yesterday, while South Korea’s Kospi plummeted 7.8%. Taiwan’s Taiex slumped 5.8%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index slid 3.1%.
And away from the Middle East region Turkey said air defence systems of NATO had also destroyed a missile fired from Iran. In Asia, Bangladesh has closed universities as part of emergency measures to conserve energy following its inability to import fuel due to the Middle East crisis. Back in Iran oil depots and refineries are still burning in Tehran after Sunday’s Israel strikes on the facilities.
