Iran Spokesman Dies After Issuing Defiant Statement

A major oil refinery in Kuwait was struck by Iranian drones early Friday, igniting a fire at the facility while warning sirens sounded in Israel as incoming missiles were detected. At the same time, explosions were reported over Tehran as Israeli forces carried out new strikes while Iran celebrated the Persian New Year.

The conflict, now entering its third week, has continued to disrupt the global economy. Iran has continued targeting energy infrastructure across the Gulf region, showing no sign of slowing its campaign. Kuwaiti officials said two separate waves of drone attacks hit the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery, one of the country’s key oil facilities capable of processing about 730,000 barrels of oil per day. The refinery had already been damaged a day earlier in another Iranian strike. Kuwait relies on three major refineries, and Mina Al-Ahmadi is among its most important. Fire crews were working to contain the blaze after the latest attack.

Iran intensified its strikes on oil and gas facilities across Gulf Arab countries after Israel carried out a bombing on Wednesday against Iran’s massive South Pars offshore natural gas field in the Persian Gulf. In Israel, loud blasts were also heard in Jerusalem after the military warned residents that Iranian missiles were approaching.

In a rare public message, Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, declared that Iran’s adversaries should have their “security” taken away. He has remained largely out of public view since taking power following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the first day of the conflict.

Elsewhere in the region, air defense systems were activated over Dubai after incoming projectiles were detected. The interceptions triggered large explosions above the city while people were gathering for Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of Ramadan, and as mosques prepared for the morning call to prayer. In Bahrain, authorities said debris from a destroyed projectile fell onto a warehouse and started a fire. Saudi Arabia also reported that several drones aimed at its oil-producing Eastern Province were shot down.

The fresh attacks followed a day of heavy fighting across the region. Iran struck multiple energy facilities in neighboring countries and launched more than a dozen missile barrages toward Israel in response to the strike on the South Pars gas field.

Late Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel would pause additional strikes on the gas field after a request from President Trump, as Iran’s retaliation had driven oil prices sharply higher. Netanyahu also said Israel had eliminated Iran’s ability to produce ballistic missiles. However, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard rejected that claim.

Iranian military spokesman Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini told the state-run IRAN newspaper that missile production was continuing despite the war. He said manufacturing was still ongoing and that the country had no significant difficulty building up its arsenal. Naeini also suggested Iran was not seeking a quick end to the conflict, saying the war should continue until its opponents were worn down and the threat hanging over Iran was removed.

Only hours after those remarks were published, Iranian state media reported that Naeini had been killed during joint US-Israeli strikes.