Iran Calls on Arab Neighbours to Eject US Forces as Regional Tensions Boil Over

Iran’s foreign minister issued a pointed call on Saturday for Arab governments in the Middle East to expel American military forces from their territory, arguing that US bases in the region were being used to conduct attacks on Iranian soil. The appeal came as Iran simultaneously launched ballistic missiles at the UAE, struck targets in Israel, and threatened to hit any Gulf facility with ties to American companies. Tehran’s diplomatic offensive was aimed at fracturing the American security architecture underpinning the military campaign against it.
The UAE, one of the countries with a significant US military presence, found itself directly in the crossfire. Iranian missiles hit near Fujairah on Saturday, suspending oil-loading operations at the globally important ship-refuelling hub and prompting Iranian military officials to warn civilians near UAE ports to evacuate. The emirate’s government condemned the strikes as “terrorist aggression” while calling for restraint and seeking a negotiated resolution. The UAE’s response illustrated the difficult position of Gulf states caught between their American security guarantees and Iran’s military pressure.
The United States pressed ahead with its air campaign, bombing Kharg Island on Saturday for the second consecutive day. President Trump said in public remarks the facility had been effectively demolished and hinted at more strikes to come. He also called on China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran had blocked since the war began on February 28. The strait carries around 20 percent of global oil and gas, and its continued closure was driving energy prices toward dangerous levels.
Israeli warplanes launched dozens of raids on Iranian territory on Saturday, killing at least 15 people in Isfahan and targeting missile systems and security infrastructure across the country. Iran fired rockets at Israel in retaliation and continued its assault on multiple fronts. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth described Iran’s leadership as “desperate and hiding,” and claimed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had been wounded. Iran acknowledged the injury but insisted it was not serious. Analysts cautioned that the regime remained functionally intact and was executing a deliberate strategy of survival and prolonged conflict.
The war’s toll was being felt across the entire region and beyond. More than 1,400 Iranians had been reported killed. Thirteen Israelis and roughly 20 Gulf residents had died. Lebanon’s humanitarian situation continued to deteriorate, with more than 800 dead and 850,000 displaced from Israeli operations against Hezbollah. The US embassy in Baghdad was struck overnight, and Americans in Iraq were ordered to leave immediately. Six US troops died in a military aircraft crash in western Iraq. With oil prices rising rapidly and no ceasefire in sight, analysts warned the conflict’s global economic impact was approaching critical levels.