The conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran intensified on Sunday as new missile strikes, drone attacks and air raids were reported across the region, while world leaders issued warnings about the escalating war.
Israeli strike in Beirut kills four
Lebanon’s health ministry said an Israeli air strike on a hotel in central Beirut killed at least four people and injured ten others.
The Israeli military said the attack was a “precise strike” targeting commanders from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force operating in Lebanon. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the commanders were allegedly planning attacks against Israel.
The strike hit a room in a seafront hotel in Beirut’s Raouche district, a major tourist area that had largely avoided attacks during the earlier Israel-Hezbollah war that ended with a ceasefire in November 2024.
Iran launches new missile offensive
Iran’s elite military force, the IRGC, said it had launched the 27th phase of its offensive under “Operation True Promise 4.”
The operation reportedly involved coordinated drone and missile strikes targeting Israeli military infrastructure. Iranian state media said newly developed solid-fuel Kheibar-Shekan missiles were used to hit targets near Haifa.
Iran also claimed drones struck a facility housing American personnel near buildings linked to Warner Brothers.
US rejects Iran’s claims
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) accused Iran of carrying out “deliberate, indiscriminate and irresponsible targeting” of civilian infrastructure.
In a post on X, CENTCOM rejected Tehran’s claim that its missiles were aimed only at military targets but were diverted due to alleged US interference. The command said Iranian strikes targeted civilian airports, hotels and residential neighborhoods.
Trump threatens stronger action
US President Donald Trump said Iran would be “hit very hard,” but added that he had not set a timetable for the war.
“We’ll do whatever it takes,” Trump told reporters.
He also said he had ruled out asking Kurdish groups to launch a ground offensive inside Iran, despite earlier remarks suggesting he supported the idea. Trump said he did not want the war to become more complicated or cause Kurdish casualties.
China warns war should not have happened
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the conflict “should never have happened.”
Speaking in Beijing, he warned that global politics cannot return to “the law of the jungle,” adding that military power does not justify aggression.
Global economic concerns grow
The conflict is also exposing China’s heavy dependence on energy imports from the Persian Gulf.
China, one of Iran’s key economic partners, is the world’s largest energy importer and purchases large quantities of Iranian oil despite sanctions. Disruptions to Gulf supply routes could significantly impact China’s economy if the war continues.
