Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) issued statements denouncing the strikes and expressing solidarity with Kuwait and Bahrain.

The GCC called the attacks an “unacceptable hostile policy,” while Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said the strikes represented a dangerous escalation threatening regional and international security.

Iran claimed responsibility for attacks on U.S. military assets in Kuwait and Bahrain, including facilities linked to the U.S. Fifth Fleet. Kuwaiti authorities said missile strikes caused significant damage at Kuwait International Airport, temporarily disrupting operations before flights resumed later in the day.

The Polish military said combat aircraft and other air-defense assets were operating in the country’s airspace following Russian attacks on Ukrainian territory. The measures were described as preventive and aimed at protecting areas adjacent to regions potentially affected by the strikes.

The activation came as Russia carried out a large-scale missile and drone assault on Ukraine, including attacks on the capital, Kyiv, prompting heightened vigilance among neighboring NATO states. Polish authorities said the operation was intended to ensure the integrity of national airspace and maintain readiness in the event of any spillover from the conflict.

Later on Sunday, Poland’s armed forces reported that no violations of Polish airspace had been detected during the Russian strikes. Military officials said the aviation deployment remained a precautionary response to developments across the border rather than a reaction to any direct incursion.

The latest activation reflects a pattern of heightened military alertness in Poland since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Warsaw has repeatedly scrambled aircraft, activated air-defense systems and coordinated with NATO allies when major Russian missile and drone attacks have targeted western Ukraine near the Polish border.

Poland, one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters within NATO, serves as a critical logistics corridor for Western military assistance flowing into Ukraine. The country has also expanded investments in air-defense infrastructure and surveillance capabilities amid growing regional security concerns.

Recent weeks have seen increased tensions across NATO’s eastern flank, including reports of drone-related incidents and military interceptions in the Baltic region. Earlier this month, Polish fighter aircraft intercepted a Russian reconnaissance plane over international waters in the Baltic Sea, which Warsaw characterized as a provocative action.

While Sunday’s operation concluded without any reported breach of Polish territory, the deployment underscored the continuing risk that Russia’s air campaign against Ukraine could affect neighboring alliance members and further elevate tensions .

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Monday that unidentified groups operating from northern Iraq and allegedly acting on behalf of the United States and Israel had tried to transport a large cache of American weapons and ammunition into Iranian territory.

The accusations come amid heightened regional tensions following months of conflict involving Iran and Israel, despite a ceasefire announced in April.

Representatives of the Kurdish opposition groups, which maintain bases in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, dismissed the allegations as unfounded and politically motivated.

Party of Free Life of Kurdistan official Ahwan Chiako said claims regarding the seizure of weapons had “absolutely nothing to do with us.”

“We did not send weapons. No arms or equipment belonging to us have been seized by the Islamic regime,” Chiako told AFP.

Komala spokesperson Amjad Hossein Panahi said the accusations were “completely false” and served as justification for continued Iranian missile and drone strikes targeting areas in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.

An official from the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, speaking anonymously because he was not authorized to address the media, also denied any involvement in weapons transfers into Iran.

Tehran has long accused Kurdish armed factions based in Iraq of collaborating with Western governments or Israel and classifies several of the groups as terrorist organizations.

Iran has repeatedly conducted cross-border missile and drone strikes against Kurdish opposition positions in Iraq since the outbreak of the broader Middle East conflict, although many camps and facilities had reportedly been evacuated before the attacks intensified.

Earlier in the conflict, speculation emerged in regional media suggesting that Kurdish opposition groups might coordinate with the United States in the event of wider instability inside Iran. Iranian authorities subsequently warned they would target any militant activity launched from Iraqi Kurdistan.

Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq’s Kurdistan region Qubad Talabani said in March that the United States was not supplying weapons to Iranian Kurdish opposition groups.

US President Donald Trump had earlier suggested support for anti-government unrest inside Iran before later stating that attempts to arm Iranian protesters had failed because Kurdish intermediaries allegedly diverted the weapons.

A proposal brokered by Pakistan called for an immediate ceasefire and reopening of the strait, followed by negotiations on a broader settlement within weeks, according to a source familiar with the plan. Iran declined the offer, instead outlining conditions including sanctions relief, regional de-escalation, and reconstruction measures, state media reported.

Trump reiterated threats to target Iranian infrastructure if Tehran failed to meet his demands by the deadline, warning that bridges and power plants could be destroyed. He said the United States could “take out” the country if an agreement was not reached.Fighting continued across the region.

The Israeli military said it carried out airstrikes on Iranian government infrastructure in Tehran and other areas, while intercepting missiles launched from Iran. Saudi Arabia reported intercepting ballistic missiles over its eastern region, with debris falling near energy facilities, and issued public safety alerts alongside the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Iran’s envoy to the United Nations condemned the U.S. threats as a violation of international law, while senior Iranian officials dismissed Trump’s warnings. Authorities also called for civilian demonstrations to protect infrastructure sites.

A synagogue in central Tehran was damaged by a projectile, according to local media, as the conflict widened beyond military targets.Global oil markets remained under pressure, with prices hovering around $110 per barrel amid uncertainty over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply.

The continued disruption has raised concerns about inflation and energy security worldwide.The conflict, which began after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, has led to thousands of casualties across the region.

A U.S. fighter jet was also downed last week, underscoring the escalating risks for Washington as the crisis deepens.

Air defense systems were activated following the first barrage, with police and emergency services responding to several locations in the Tel Aviv area.

Israeli media, citing medics, reported that four people sustained light injuries. Police said officers were deployed to multiple impact sites, with local reports indicating as many as nine locations affected.Israeli media said the spread of damage across a relatively wide area suggested the possible use of cluster munitions, which detonate mid-air and disperse smaller bomblets.

There was no immediate independent confirmation of the type of munitions used.Less than two hours after the initial attack, the military reported a second wave of missiles launched from Iran, triggering air raid sirens across large parts of northern and central Israel. In a subsequent statement, authorities said residents were permitted to leave protected shelters, indicating that the immediate threat had subsided.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage linked to the second barrage.The attacks follow a separate missile strike on Wednesday that injured 14 people, including a child, according to Israeli emergency services, as residents prepared for the Passover holiday.

The exchange underscores escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel, with both sides having previously accused each other of employing cluster munitions in the conflict.

The victim, believed to be around 60 years old, died in Tel Aviv following a missile impact, according to Magen David Adom, which added that two others sustained minor injuries.

The Israel Defense Forces said it had identified missiles launched from Iran toward Israeli territory, with air defense systems activated to intercept the threat.Search and rescue teams were deployed to multiple impact sites in central Israel, the military said, while witnesses reported seeing missile trails over Jerusalem.

Explosions were also heard in Jericho in the occupied West Bank.Emergency responders were seen at the scene in Tel Aviv, where a main road was partially sealed off following the strike.

Israeli authorities said earlier that at least 18 civilians had been killed since the start of the conflict, including 13 Israelis, four minors, a Filipino caregiver and a Thai national, in missile attacks attributed to Iran.

The military warned that additional missile launches were detected as Saturday approached, indicating the continuation of hostilities.Iran signals retaliationIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said earlier that Tehran would impose a “heavy price” for Israeli actions, following reported strikes on major Iranian steel facilities and nuclear sites.

The exchange of attacks marks an intensification of the conflict between the two countries, with both sides continuing cross-border strikes amid mounting civilian casualties.

Air raid sirens sounded across Israel early on Sunday, warning of incoming Iranian missiles, after dozens of people were wounded overnight in separate attacks in the southern towns of Arad and Dimona. Israel’s military said it was carrying out strikes on Tehran hours after the Iranian attacks.

Trump on Saturday warned he would “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if Tehran did not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, marking a sharp escalation a day after suggesting the conflict could be wound down.

Iran responded on Sunday by warning it would strike U.S. infrastructure, including energy facilities in the Gulf, if Washington followed through on its threat. The warning came as U.S. Marines and heavy landing craft continued moving toward the region.

The exchange of threats has heightened fears that energy installations across key Gulf producers could become direct targets, widening the conflict beyond current theatres of engagement.

The escalating the crisis has disrupted markets, pushing fuel costs higher and intensifying concerns over global inflation. Analysts said the situation has introduced acute uncertainty into financial markets already strained by supply disruptions.

“President Trump’s threat has now placed a 48-hour ticking time bomb of elevated uncertainty over markets,” said Tony Sycamore, an analyst at IG.

He warned that failure to de-escalate could trigger sharp declines in global equities and further spikes in oil prices.

Oil prices rose on Friday to their highest levels in nearly four years after Iraq declared force majeure on oilfields operated by foreign firms, Israel struck a major Iranian gas field, and Tehran retaliated with attacks on neighbouring countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait.

Iranian actions have effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage that carries around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, triggering what analysts describe as the most severe oil disruption since the 1970s.

The near-closure has also driven European gas prices sharply higher, with increases of up to 35% reported last week, reflecting the strait’s central role in global energy flows.

In a social media post late on Saturday, Trump reiterated his ultimatum, saying the United States would begin targeting Iran’s power infrastructure if the waterway was not reopened “fully” and “without threat” within the specified timeframe.

In comments shared in a video that resurfaced online, the minister said “anyone here who is more loyal to Iran than to Bahrain should rely on Allah and leave,” adding that those who prioritise ties to Iran should “leave and settle down” there. The remarks come as Bahrain and neighbouring Gulf countries face continued missile and drone attacks from Iran in a conflict that escalated following tensions with the United States on Feb. 28.

Iran has launched strikes not only on Israel but also on multiple Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, according to official statements and regional reporting. The attacks have targeted both military and civilian infrastructure across the region. Bahrain has reported damage to sites including areas near the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Manama, underscoring the proximity of strategic assets to the conflict.

The United Arab Emirates has also reported sustained strikes, with its defence ministry citing hundreds of missiles and drones launched since late February. The widening scope of the conflict has raised concerns among Gulf governments about both external threats and internal vulnerabilities.

The minister’s remarks follow heightened concern among Gulf authorities over domestic security and alleged links between Iran and networks operating within the region. Regional security reporting has pointed to concerns about covert cells providing intelligence or operational support, including relaying coordinates or documenting strike locations.

Bahraini authorities have long accused Iran of backing militant groups and fomenting unrest in the kingdom. The issue of national loyalty has remained a sensitive topic in Bahrain, particularly during periods of heightened regional tension.

Bahrain has experienced episodes of unrest in the past, and officials have repeatedly emphasised national unity during times of geopolitical strain. Since the outbreak of hostilities, Gulf states have tightened security measures and reinforced public messaging as they respond to the expanding conflict, which has disrupted energy flows and heightened geopolitical risks across the region.