Tensions in the Middle East reached new heights on Thursday as Israeli forces conducted extensive military operations against multiple Iranian targets. The offensive, described by the Israeli military as “wide-scale strikes targeting infrastructure,” hit locations in central cities including Isfahan and Shiraz, along with southern Bandar Abbas, northwestern Tabriz, and northeastern Mashhad—a region previously largely unaffected by the conflict.
This escalation comes amid diplomatic tensions after Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi explicitly rejected negotiations with the Trump administration, stating on national television that Tehran’s current policy remains “the continuation of resistance.” While acknowledging message exchanges through “friendly countries,” Araghchi emphasized that “no negotiations have taken place.”
The conflict, which began with joint US-Israeli attacks on February 28, has expanded dramatically across the region. Iran maintained its retaliatory measures against Israel, with medical officials reporting six people lightly wounded from missile attacks in central Israel. Meanwhile, the Gulf region witnessed fresh violence as debris from an intercepted Iranian ballistic missile killed two people near Abu Dhabi. Saudi Arabia reported intercepting at least 18 drones, while Kuwait confirmed additional missile and drone attacks.
Economic implications continued to concern global markets, particularly regarding Tehran’s partial blockade of the Strait of Hormuz—a critical passageway for approximately 20% of the world’s oil and gas. Although crude prices had declined recently as the Trump administration appeared to step back from regime change objectives, Thursday’s developments caused renewed market volatility.
Diplomatic efforts faced additional complications as details emerged of a purported 15-point US peace plan reportedly communicated through Pakistan. However, Iran’s state-controlled media indicated Tehran had “responded negatively” and instead presented its own five conditions for ending hostilities, including guarantees against resumed attacks and compensation for damages.
President Trump maintained at a Wednesday dinner with lawmakers that Tehran desired negotiations but feared acknowledging them publicly. “They’re afraid to say it because they figure they’ll be killed by their own people,” he stated, adding, “They’re also afraid they’ll be killed by us.”
The conflict has drawn in additional regional actors, with Hezbollah launching over 80 attacks against Israel on Wednesday—the largest daily number in the current conflict—and targeting Israeli forces in nine border towns. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the military had “created a genuine security zone” in southern Lebanon, where an Israeli soldier was killed in fighting on Thursday.