Iran War Escalates: Israel Strikes Oil Depots Near Tehran, Tehran Fires Back

The conflict between Israel and Iran intensified on Saturday, March 7, 2026, as Israel launched strikes targeting oil storage sites near Tehran, prompting retaliatory missile salvos from Iran and raising concerns about regional stability. The strikes arrive as the war enters its second week, with both sides escalating military actions.

Israeli Strikes Target Iranian Infrastructure

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported conducting overnight strikes on key missile infrastructure and aircraft belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Tehran and central Iran. More than 80 fighter jets dropped approximately 230 bombs on Iranian military targets, including a subterranean site used for the storage and production of ballistic missiles [Times of Israel]. The IDF also targeted another missile storage site and Imam Hossein University, a military academy associated with the IRGC [Times of Israel].

Footage circulating on social media showed strikes and large fires at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran, following the Israeli military’s announcement of an “extensive” wave of strikes against regime targets in the capital [Times of Israel].

Iran’s Response and Regional Threats

In response to the Israeli strikes, Iran launched repeated salvos of ballistic missiles at Israel [Times of Israel]. Tehran also issued new threats against European countries, warning of potential repercussions should they join the war [Times of Israel].

Iranian media reported that the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had confirmed that an oil refinery had been bombed [DW]. The Iranian Meteorological Service warned of health risks from sulfur and nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere, advising residents to stay indoors if rain occurs [DW].

Regional Impact and Humanitarian Concerns

The conflict is expanding beyond Israel and Iran, with Iranian drones and missiles reportedly reaching Gulf nations, resulting in blasts in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia [DW]. The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that disruptions to aid supply routes in the Middle East could have severe humanitarian consequences [DW].

Fighting has also flared in Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of two Israeli soldiers in combat with Hezbollah, marking the first Israeli troop fatalities since the escalation of the conflict [DW].

Netanyahu’s Warning

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed further action, promising “many surprises” for the next phase of the war [PBS].