Iran claims striking three US air bases in Middle East as conflict escalates

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Sunday that it had launched coordinated missile and drone strikes on three US air bases across the Middle East, as tensions between Iran, Israel and the United States continue to escalate.

In a statement released late Sunday, the IRGC said its naval forces carried out "precise and devastating" attacks earlier in the day, claiming the strikes destroyed more than 80% of key facilities at the targeted bases.

According to the statement, the attacks targeted several US military installations in the region, including Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, the Udairi helicopter base and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, and Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain. The strikes involved ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and attack drones, the statement said.

Iran also released images that it said showed damage to defensive fortifications at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia during the 51st wave of True Promise 4 military operation. The base, located about 100 kilometers southeast of Riyadh, is the main US military facility in Saudi Arabia. White House documents show that more than 2,300 US troops were stationed in the country in 2024, assisting Saudi Arabia with air defense operations and supporting US combat aircraft missions.

There was no immediate confirmation from the United States regarding the reported strikes.

Meanwhile, Israel said on Sunday it had intensified its military operations inside Iran. Israeli officials said the Israeli Air Force had struck more than 200 targets in western and central Iran over the past 24 hours, including military command centers, air defense systems, and weapons production and storage sites.

Israeli officials said operations would continue alongside the United States until their objectives were achieved.

The conflict has also raised questions about military readiness on both sides. Earlier, a US official said Israel had informed Washington that its stockpile of ballistic missile interceptors was approaching a "serious shortage." Israeli authorities later denied the claim.

According to Israeli sources, the government has approved an emergency military procurement budget of about $827 million to support additional defense purchases. Israeli military officials also said preparations for a potential conflict with Iran had begun months earlier and that interceptor missiles had been stockpiled in advance to sustain a possible multi-week conflict.

Separately, Iranian missile debris reportedly struck a building belonging to the US consular residence in Israel, according to information obtained by CMG reporter from Israeli sources. There has been no immediate response from relevant parties.

Iran denies requesting a ceasefire

As the fighting continues, uncertainty remains over how long the conflict may last.

US President Donald Trump said in an interview on Saturday that Iran wants to negotiate a ceasefire but he was not prepared to reach an agreement yet because the terms "are not good enough." 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected that claim the following day, saying Tehran had neither requested a ceasefire nor sought negotiations. He said Iran would continue to defend itself "for as long as necessary" until Washington recognizes that the conflict is an "unwinnable and illegal war."

Araghchi also addressed Iran's nuclear program, saying that before hostilities began Tehran had made significant concessions in indirect nuclear talks with the United States. Iran had proposed diluting uranium enriched to 60% as a signal that it had no intention of developing nuclear weapons, he said.

He added that nuclear materials are currently buried under the rubble of damaged nuclear facilities following the attacks, and Iran has no immediate plans to retrieve them. If they are recovered in the future, he said, it would be done under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Macron talks with Pezeshkian

The conflict has also begun to affect global energy markets after Iran moved to block the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic shipping route through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply passes. European countries are reportedly exploring diplomatic options to prevent a prolonged disruption to global energy flows.

Amid rising tensions, French President Emmanuel Macron held a phone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday to discuss the rapidly evolving situation.

Macron later said on social media that the escalation risks dragging the entire Middle East into chaos with long-term consequences. He said France's military activities in the region follow a "defensive principle," aimed at protecting its interests, safeguarding regional partners and ensuring freedom of navigation, adding that any attack targeting France would be "unacceptable."

Pezeshkian said recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran's Kharg Island and Abu Musa Island were carried out using the territory of certain Gulf countries. He argued that instability in the region stems from hostile actions by Israel and the United States, adding that Iran would firmly defend its territorial integrity and national security.

Expert: European governments must not get drawn into war

With tensions in the region intensifying, CGTN spoke to Stefan Wolff, professor of international security at the University of Birmingham. The professor said that most European countries are trying to avoid becoming directly involved in the war, focusing instead on diplomacy and preparing for the geopolitical consequences once the fighting ends.

"So far, we've seen relative consistency across most of the countries in Europe, regardless of whether they are part of the EU or not," he highlighted. "There's been general doubt expressed, quite vocally by several governments, about the legality of the war that Israel and the US started."

According to Wolff, Europe's immediate priority should be avoiding direct involvement in the fighting while preparing for the political and diplomatic challenges that will follow the war.

"At the moment, the best thing that European governments can do is exercise caution so that they do not get drawn into the war – that they do not become co-belligerents," he said.

The conflict could have broader implications for the global order and the credibility of international institutions, the expert said. 

"What we have seen for quite some time now is a further erosion of the very idea of international law," he said. "There are rules and regulations that say very clearly under what conditions force can be used. There's absolutely no evidence that this war that the US and Israel have started was in any way legal," said Wolff.