Trump Orders Surge in US Firepower as Iran’s Drones Target Gulf Neighbors

The war between the United States, Israel, and Iran expanded geographically on Friday as Iranian missiles and drones struck at Gulf states hosting American military bases, while the US simultaneously escalated its own bombing campaign with a pledge to surge its already formidable firepower. President Donald Trump demanded Iran’s unconditional surrender as the conflict entered its seventh and most intense day yet.
American B-2 stealth bombers delivered dozens of massive penetrating munitions to deeply buried Iranian missile infrastructure, in what the head of US Central Command described as a significant blow to Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities. A large Iranian warship used as a drone launch platform was also struck and potentially destroyed. The defense secretary confirmed that US military operations were about to expand in scale and intensity, while Israel’s chief of staff promised additional undisclosed military surprises.
Iran struck back across a wide front. Missiles and drones were launched at US military facilities and oil infrastructure in Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain. Qatar and Saudi Arabia confirmed they had intercepted incoming attacks aimed at US bases on their territory. In Bahrain, strikes hit two hotels and a residential building, causing civilian casualties. In Kuwait, where six American soldiers had been killed earlier in the week, fresh waves of missiles crossed the airspace before being intercepted by air defenses.
In Lebanon, Israel pushed its campaign to new levels of intensity. The military issued its largest-ever evacuation orders, covering more than one million people across Beirut’s Dahiyeh district and surrounding areas. Strikes on Hezbollah positions turned neighborhoods to rubble. Despite this, Hezbollah kept fighting, wounding Israeli soldiers near the border and launching rockets at communities in northern Israel. The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon reported that its Ghanaian battalion headquarters was struck, critically wounding two soldiers and destroying the facility.
The United Kingdom confirmed it was deploying additional RAF Typhoon fighters to Qatar to support allies under fire. France condemned the attack on UN peacekeepers. The UN human rights chief made an urgent appeal for de-escalation. Trump made no such appeal, instead reiterating his demand for Iran’s surrender and his desire to help shape the country’s post-war political order. The bombing, on both sides, continues.