Iran launches attacks on the US, Israel, and several Gulf states as oil prices experience volatility

Iran unleashed a fresh wave of strikes against Israeli and American targets in the Middle East, according to a statement from state broadcaster IRIB on Wednesday, which described the barrage as the most intense and heaviest since the start of the war.

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The three-hour barrage targeted Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and Haifa, as well as the area of Jerusalem under full Israeli control, referred to as "West Jerusalem", the broadcaster said, citing a statement from Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards.

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Israel's military reported detecting missiles heading towards the country and subsequently activated its air defences in response to the attack.

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Air raid sirens were heard in Jerusalem by AFP journalists, who also reported hearing the sound of explosions in the distance, as the country's defences sprang into action.

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The missile salvo also targeted numerous US targets in Erbil, located in Iraqi Kurdistan, as well as the US Fifth Fleet naval base in Bahrain, according to the state broadcaster.

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The current Middle East war, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, has sparked a series of retaliatory Iranian missile attacks, with the latest barrage being the most intense to date.

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In a statement carried by Iran's Tasnim news agency, the Revolutionary Guards said a large number of ballistic missiles had been fired at the US Navy's Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain and at three other facilities in Iraq's Kurdish region.

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The Guards also claimed that no US Navy vessel has attempted to approach the Strait of Hormuz, contradicting an earlier statement from US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who initially said the navy had escorted an oil tanker through the strait before deleting the post minutes later.

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New attacks were reported across the Gulf region early on Wednesday, with both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates reporting interceptions of missiles and drones.