US and Israeli strikes have intensified across Tehran, marking a dramatic escalation in the ongoing conflict as President Donald Trump declared that diplomatic negotiations were now “too late.” The war, now in its fourth day, has spread destruction across strategic locations in Iran, with reports of drones and missiles hitting oil facilities as well as diplomatic buildings linked to Western nations in the Gulf region. At the same time, Israel has pushed deeper into Lebanon, where it continues battling Hezbollah, the Tehran-backed militant group.
On Tuesday, Israeli authorities announced a large-scale airstrike operation targeting Iran’s capital. Local media reports showed thick plumes of smoke rising above central Tehran, an area that houses several government institutions. Authorities also confirmed an attack on one of the city’s two major airports. Trump reinforced the hardline stance through social media posts, claiming Iran’s air defence, military air force, naval strength, and parts of its leadership structure had been severely weakened. He added that while he had previously indicated openness to negotiations, he now believed it was too late to open diplomatic talks following the escalation of violence. His statement came just days after earlier strikes reportedly killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran has rejected claims that it had requested peace talks with the United States. Its ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva publicly denied that any diplomatic requests had been made. Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported that strikes also targeted a building in Qom linked to the committee responsible for selecting a new supreme leader. According to Tasnim news reports shared by Zoyols, another strike had already hit the committee’s main headquarters in Tehran a day earlier.
Iran’s foreign ministry has called on the United Nations Security Council to intervene and help stop the conflict from spreading further. Despite the growing international pressure, Iranian military officials have continued to show defiance. A spokesperson for the Revolutionary Guards warned that the conflict could escalate dramatically, stating that “the gates of hell will open more and more” if attacks continue. Another senior military official, Ebrahim Jabbari, said Iran would respond by targeting economic infrastructure across the Middle East if its main strategic centres were attacked.
The conflict has also spilled into neighbouring Gulf states. Qatar reported intercepting missiles aimed at Hamad International Airport in Doha, while Oman said several drones attempted to strike the port of Duqm. In the United Arab Emirates, authorities said falling debris from a destroyed drone caused a fire in an oil storage and trading zone, though emergency services quickly brought the situation under control.
As the violence continues, governments across Europe and Asia have begun organising emergency evacuation flights to bring their citizens home. Thousands of travellers remain stranded across the region. French authorities said they were preparing charter flights to help vulnerable citizens leave affected areas, noting that around 400,000 French nationals are currently living in countries impacted by the crisis.
Germany has also announced evacuation plans, with aircraft expected to operate from Saudi Arabia and Oman. Around 30,000 German citizens are believed to be stranded in the region. Travel companies have joined the effort as well. TUI confirmed plans to fly about 5,000 passengers home from two cruise ships in the Gulf via Dubai.
Several Asian airlines have also launched evacuation operations. Indian carriers including IndiGo, Air India Express and Akasa Air have scheduled limited flights to help evacuate citizens. Italian authorities expect evacuation flights to land in Rome and Milan, while Britain has arranged charter flights from Oman. British Airways also scheduled additional evacuation services, and Spain organised similar operations, with Spanish nationals expected to arrive in Madrid on an Etihad-operated flight.
The European Union has supported member states in coordinating repatriation efforts. Crisis management officials confirmed that Italy, Austria and Slovakia were among the countries receiving assistance in returning their citizens safely.
The situation has forced several airlines to suspend operations across the Middle East. Data from aviation analytics firms shows that more than 12,900 flights were cancelled between Saturday and Monday, representing roughly 40 percent of scheduled air traffic in the region. Aviation experts estimate that over one million travellers may already have been affected by the disruptions, as the region handles around 900,000 passenger seats daily.
Air travel across major Gulf hubs has been severely affected. Almost all flights departing from the United Arab Emirates were cancelled at one point, though operations gradually resumed at reduced capacity in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Some Emirates flights began departing again on Tuesday, flying southward to avoid conflict zones. However, most commercial flights remain suspended, with only limited services from select airlines continuing operations.
Many flights entering and leaving the Gulf region have also been rerouted to avoid dangerous airspace. Flights between Europe and Asia are now often redirected through Saudi Arabian and Omani airspace. Meanwhile, no civilian flights were reported in the skies above Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Libya, or Qatar as security concerns continue to dominate regional air travel.
