Iran has pledged a “decisive response” following coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel, escalating tensions across the Middle East and raising fears of a wider regional conflict.

In a strongly worded statement, the government of Iran said its armed forces are fully prepared to retaliate against what it described as aggression.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was pictured amid the rising crisis as officials insisted Tehran had made every effort to prevent war, even while nuclear negotiations were ongoing.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed that a first wave of missile and drone attacks had been launched toward Israeli territory.

The Guards described the operation as a direct response to joint US-Israeli airstrikes targeting Iranian facilities.

Airstrikes Hit Iraq Military Base

The conflict quickly spilled into neighboring Iraq, where airstrikes targeted the Jurf al-Nasr (formerly Jurf al-Sakher) military base south of Baghdad.

The base is operated by the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a state-integrated security force.

However, much of the facility reportedly hosts Kataeb Hezbollah, a powerful Iran-aligned faction.

Security sources confirmed casualties, with at least two fatalities and several others wounded following multiple air raids.

While no official confirmation has identified whether US or Israeli forces carried out the Iraq strike, tensions have surged sharply.

US President Donald Trump had earlier vowed to “annihilate” Iran’s naval and missile infrastructure, intensifying rhetoric between Washington and Tehran.

Rising Regional Instability

Kataeb Hezbollah, part of the Iran-backed “axis of resistance,” previously warned that any regional war would result in heavy losses for US interests.

Analysts now warn that continued missile exchanges, drone attacks, and retaliatory airstrikes could destabilize Iraq and further inflame the Middle East security crisis.

As military operations unfold, global leaders are closely monitoring developments, fearing that the Iran-Israel conflict could expand into a broader confrontation.