All articles tagged with #missiles
After a U.S.–Israel operation against Iran, Tehran launched missiles and drones at regional targets, triggering air defenses and cross-border attacks that disrupted flights and injured people from the UAE and Dubai to Doha and Kuwait City, as the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan report strikes and regional leaders condemn the aggression.
China is reportedly supplying offensive weapons and air-defense systems to Iran, including loitering munitions (kamikaze drones) and discussions over CM‑302 missiles and possibly the DF‑17 hypersonic glide missile. Iran has paid in oil shipments for some systems, and the move unfolds as the US contemplates action against Tehran and regional tensions rise, with Beijing seeking to balance support for Tehran and broader U.S.–China tensions.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it launched missiles and drones against U.S. bases across the Gulf (including Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE) and also targeted Israel in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. U.S. and allied defenses intercepted several missiles; the UAE reported a casualty from debris. Kuwait said its forces repelled an attack, and regional players condemned the escalation as flights were disrupted.
Iran launches a regional barrage of drones and short‑range missiles at bases hosting US forces in Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan and Bahrain, as well as at Israel, in response to US–Israeli airstrikes. Tehran calls for UN Security Council action, vows no leniency, and warns of further attacks while monitoring regional reactions; reports include casualties such as claims of 40 schoolchildren killed in Minab and damage to key sites, with leadership safety and civilian impact under scrutiny amid ongoing nuclear negotiations.
Live updates show a sharp escalation after the U.S. and Israel strike Iran, with Iran launching retaliatory missiles and drones across the region. Washington has labeled the operation Epic Fury and says its aim is to curb Iran’s nuclear and ballistic programs, while Tehran vows to defend itself. Global leaders and institutions—including the EU, UK, France, Germany, Canada, and the UN—urge restraint and a return to diplomacy as U.S. embassies issue shelter-in-place orders and regional bases come under attack, signaling a potential for a protracted regional crisis.
After a U.S.-led strike, experts explain Iran's ballistic missile arsenal, estimated ranges, and what those capabilities could mean for Israel and regional security.
US forces—comprising land, air, and naval units—are actively conducting air-defense operations across the Middle East as Iran launches retaliatory missiles at bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE, with more than a dozen US warships and two aircraft carriers deployed to defend American installations and deter further strikes.
President Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s reorganized air-defense system is delivering better results, with more than 30 Russian missiles intercepted in the latest strike, most targeting the energy sector. He credited the reforms and ongoing ammunition and interceptor deliveries from partners, noted strains had pressured defenses in recent weeks, and highlighted continued efforts to protect critical infrastructure while honoring service members.
Trump said Iran is building missiles capable of reaching the United States, but CNN reports there is no intelligence backing that claim; a Defense Intelligence Agency assessment has suggested Iran could develop a militarily viable ICBM by 2035 if pursued, yet sources say there’s no evidence Iran is pursuing such a capability now. Iran does possess shorter-range missiles that threaten regional bases, and officials note ongoing diplomacy amid heightened security rhetoric.
Trump's advisers are scrambling to sell a possible U.S. intervention in Iran based on ballistic-missile threats, but intelligence assessments clash with the president's rhetoric—citing a homeland threat not clearly supported by evidence—while Iran's missile program is framed as deterrence and complicates diplomacy, and a war could strain U.S. stockpiles and regional stability.
ISW reports a massive Feb 25–26 Russian missile-and-drone strike against Ukraine, targeting energy infrastructure with about 420 drones and 39 missiles (including Shahed-type drones, Iskander-M/S-300 missiles, Kh-101 cruise missiles, and anti-ship missiles). Ukraine defenses downed most projectiles, but strikes damaged gas and electrical infrastructure across several oblasts, with an Odessa substation significantly affected. The attack fits a pattern of large, drone-heavy strike packages designed to overwhelm air defenses ahead of peace talks. Starlink outages have reduced Russian drone effectiveness by roughly 20–40%, while Russia forms new units near Kupyansk and pursues broader offensive preparations. China remains a key enabler via fiber-optic supply, and Western air defense support remains crucial to counter these strikes.
Japan plans to place surface-to-air missiles on Yonaguni, its westernmost island near Taiwan, by March 2031 (fiscal 2030), according to Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, as Tokyo steadies against China amid Taiwan security concerns and ongoing Senkaku/ Diaoyu tensions; locals worry about militarization of the small island that already hosts an SDF base.
Russia launched a mass overnight strike across Ukraine with hundreds of drones and missiles targeting energy infrastructure and residential areas, injuring at least 26 people and causing damage in Kyiv and multiple oblasts including Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Kryvyi Rih; Ukrainian air defenses largely intercepted the projectiles, but some hits damaged homes, gas facilities, and electrical substations, and caused power outages in places like Odesa as emergency crews responded.
Pentagon officials warn protracted Iranian strikes could exhaust U.S. stockpiles of air‑defense interceptors (SM‑3s, THAAD, Patriot) and other missiles as Washington maintains a large Middle East buildup. CSIS and other analysts say substantial shares of interceptors have already been used, risking reduced protection for U.S. troops and allies and complicating support to Ukraine; lawmakers are divided—some pushing procurement reforms while others say inventories are adequate in the near term—though the Pentagon insists it has what it needs for current missions.
Japan plans to deploy medium-range surface-to-air missiles on Yonaguni Island by March 2031 as part of a broader defense buildup amid rising tensions with China over Taiwan; the system has about a 50km range, 360-degree coverage, can track up to 100 targets and engage 12, with an electronic warfare unit planned for 2026, and timing may shift with facility upgrades.