Israel Expands Bombardment, Strikes Fuel Depots Near Tehran

Israeli and U.S.-backed strikes widened overnight into Iranian territory, with attacks reported on fuel depots near Tehran that sent 'thick black smoke over the city,' marking an expansion of the campaign into its ninth day.

“Israeli forces expanded their bombardment of Iran overnight, striking fuel depots near Tehran, while Bahrain said an Iranian attack had damaged one of its desalination plants, signaling a widening assault on vital infrastructure across the region”

Taipei Times

Tehran described the strikes as a 'dangerous new phase' and called them a war crime.

Taipei Times

Israeli leadership framed the depredations as legitimate attacks on sites used for missile propellant and vowed continuity.

U.S. President Donald Trump said the war might end only when Iran’s military and leadership are eliminated.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to strike 'without mercy'.

The strikes have targeted critical regional infrastructure and caused civilian harm across the Gulf.

Reports in the region said desalination plants and fuel storage were hit or damaged.

The Globe and Mail

Bahrain reported an Iranian drone strike damaged a desalination plant, while Iran said a U.S. strike hit a desalination facility on Qeshm Island, presenting conflicting accounts of responsibility.

Gulf states including Kuwait and the UAE reported deaths and interceptions of missiles and drones.

Lebanon has been drawn in after Hezbollah attacks on Israel were followed by Israeli strikes in Beirut that killed people Israel said were Iranian commanders.

Lebanon's health ministry reported nearly 400 people killed by Israeli strikes over the past week.

The regional political fallout is immediate and uncertain.

“Israeli forces expanded their bombardment of Iran overnight, striking fuel depots near Tehran, while Bahrain said an Iranian attack had damaged one of its desalination plants, signaling a widening assault on vital infrastructure across the region”

Taipei Times

Inside Iran, the Assembly of Experts may soon name a successor to the slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and reports cited Mojtaba Khamenei as the frontrunner — a development Israel warned it would treat as a potential target.

Politically, U.S. and Israeli rhetoric suggested a possibility of further escalation: Israel’s leadership signalled sustained strikes and President Trump did not rule out ground troops, raising questions about how far external powers will go to reshape Iran’s leadership or capabilities.

Reporting on these developments in the supplied material is uneven and partly truncated, limiting the range of perspectives available in this summary.

The Globe and Mail provides the bulk of operational detail and regional casualty and infrastructure reporting.

The Globe and Mail

The Taipei Times fragment notes on-the-ground anxiety in Tehran but is incomplete.

Given the source set provided, further verification with additional regional and independent outlets would be needed to fully cross-check casualty figures, legal assessments (for example, allegations of war crimes), and the longer-term strategic objectives behind the strikes.