ALMOST a week after the United States and Israel killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in air attacks, the conflict has reached as far as the Indian Ocean.
By spreading chaos far and wide — including hitting countries it does not consider its enemies — Iran hopes other leaders will put pressure on the US to halt the war.
Iran
SUPREME Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has been responsible for thousands of deaths of unarmed protesters in Iran in recent weeks, was killed in an Israeli and US air strike.
Since then his regime has launched drones and missiles at the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Israel, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait and tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel
THE country’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blames Iran for supporting terror attacks on Israel, including arming Hamas, which carried out the October 7 attacks in 2023.
Its relationships with Saudi Arabia and Egypt have improved over recent years, but its armed forces are involved in bloody conflicts in Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank.
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Lebanon
IRANIAN-backed terror outfit Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel following the assassination of Supreme Leader Khamenei, ending a fragile peace.
The Israeli Defence Forces retaliated and at least 52 people have died in Lebanon.
Iraq
U.S. PRESIDENT Donald Trump has ruled out sending American troops into Iran, but he could arm Kurdish forces willing to start a ground offensive.
Iran has launched strikes against Kurdish forces in neighbouring Iraq — a close ally since the fall of Saddam Hussein
UAE
BRITISH nationals are trying to escape Dubai after Iran bombed the airport and hotels.
The UAE is part of the Brics organisation which includes Russia and China.
Both the UK and Australia use the Al Minhad Air Base there.
Turkey
EVEN though President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the killing of Khamenei, Iran still launched missiles into its airspace, which were shot down.
The US has forces stationed at the Incirlik base.
Turkey is in Nato and made peace with Kurds.
Oman
JUST 24 miles away from Iran, across the Strait of Hormuz, this normally neutral nation has been drawn into the conflict.
The Duqm commercial port was bombed in a drone attack.
Jordan
RAF F-35 Lightning II jets shot down an Iranian drone which was aimed at Britain’s Middle East ally Jordan.
Israel and Jordan have been at peace since 1994, which puts them in Iran’s firing line.
Sri Lanka
IRANIAN frigate IRIS Dena had been taking part in exercises with the Indian navy here before heading for international waters.
On Wednesday, 25 miles off the coast, it was hit by a torpedo from a US submarine.
Eighty-seven sailors were killed, 32 rescued and 61 are missing.
Cyprus
PM Sir Keir Starmer refused to deploy the RAF against Iran, even after it used drones to hit the British air base on Cyprus.
Our Navy is now sending HMS Dragon, equipped with counter-drone tech, to the island.
But it won’t set off until next week.
Bahrain
THE tiny nation, which has close ties to Britain, is home to the Royal Navy’s main facility in the Persian Gulf.
Iranian drones managed to breach US naval defences but there were no casualties.
Qatar
THE gas-rich former British colony has been pounded by missiles from its former ally Iran as it is home to US Command.
The RAF’s main Middle East HQ is at Al Udeid air base in Qatar.
Israel struck the capital Doha last year in an attempt to kill Hamas officials.
Azerbaijan
WEALTHY thanks to its oil and gas reserves, it suffered four injuries when Iranian drones struck the autonomous Nakhchivan exclave yesterday.
President Ilham Aliyev is on friendly terms with Israel and vowed to hit back.
Kuwait
SIX US soldiers were killed on Sunday when a drone hit an American base in Port Shuaiba, and the embassy was also attacked on Monday.
US and British forces liberated the oil-rich country in 1991 following an invasion by Iraq.