Daftar Isi
Jakarta, The conflict in the Middle East is escalating, with Iran increasing attacks on civilian infrastructure and transportation networks in the Gulf region on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
These attacks included targeting commercial vessels and Dubai International Airport, amid a new wave of airstrikes launched by the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic.
Senior Iranian officials have issued defiant statements, warning that the conflict could escalate into a prolonged war with the potential to disrupt the global economy due to disruptions in energy supplies from the region.
A New Stalemate
After 12 days of fighting, the war is now showing signs of a stalemate. Violence is occurring across various regions of the Middle East.
Israel continues to launch airstrikes against targets it claims are Hezbollah bases in Lebanon, even as Iran, along with the group, has been launching rockets and missiles into Israeli territory.
The UN refugee agency reported that at least 759,000 people have been displaced within Lebanon, while more than 92,000 have crossed into neighboring Syria.
In the Gulf region, tensions are also rising. Kuwait stated its air defense systems shot down eight Iranian drones, while Saudi Arabia announced it intercepted five drones heading towards the Shaybah oil field.
Mass Funerals in Iran
In Tehran and other Iranian cities, thousands of people have been attending the funerals of senior Iranian commanders killed in U.S. And Israeli airstrikes since the start of the war.
Mourners carried coffins while waving flags and portraits of the deceased supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, and his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei.
For the first time, Iranian officials acknowledged that the new leader of the country also sustained injuries in the airstrikes that killed his father, mother, wife, and son. The 56-year-old man has not appeared publicly or issued a direct message since the war began.
“I heard that he was injured in the leg as well as the hand, and arm… I think he is in hospital due to the fact that of the injuries,” Iranian Ambassador to Cyprus, Alireza Salarian, told The Guardian.
U.S. And Israel Continue Attacks
Despite growing international pressure to halt military operations, decision-makers in Washington and Tel Aviv appear determined to continue their military campaigns.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said operations would continue.
“Without a time limit, as long as necessary, until we achieve all goals and win this campaign,” he said.
U.S. President Donald Trump has delivered mixed messages in recent days, at times describing the war as a short-term operation that could soon end. However, in a speech in Washington on Monday, he also stated, “we haven’t won enough yet.”
“You never like to say too quickly that you’ve won. We’re winning. It was all over in the first hour,” he said at a rally in Hebron, Kentucky.
Trump also claimed the U.S. Military had destroyed 58 Iranian naval vessels, but affirmed that military operations would not be halted.
“We don’t want to go too fast, right? We have to finish the job… We don’t want to be back every two years.”
Global Energy Supply
The conflict is raising significant concerns worldwide, as a surge in oil prices could trigger economic shocks and public anger in many countries.
Trump also referenced the impact of decisions made by leaders of the G7 nations.
“I think we’re having an incredible impact, really incredible, on the world,” he said after being given the opportunity to speak by French President Emmanuel Macron at a G7 leaders meeting.
The statement came after the International Energy Agency recommended the release of 400 million barrels of oil, which would be the largest release in the agency’s history to curb rising energy prices.
Strait of Hormuz Paralyzed
However, there are currently no indications that ships will be able to safely transit the Strait of Hormuz again, a vital waterway through which around 20% of the world’s oil supply usually passes.
Three merchant ships in the Gulf were reportedly hit by mysterious projectiles on Wednesday, bringing the total number of vessels reported hit since the war began to 14.
A Thai-flagged cargo ship had to be evacuated after an explosion sparked a fire. A Japanese-flagged container ship and a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship also sustained damage.
Hundreds of ships are now anchored around the narrow strait off the southern coast of Iran, fearing they will be targeted, creating the largest supply disruption since the oil crisis of the 1970s.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that Tehran will not allow oil exports to pass through the waterway.
They said Iran would not allow “a single liter of oil” to pass through the vital route until the bombing by the U.S. And Israel is stopped.
Iran is also continuing to attack oil fields and refineries in Gulf countries to pressure the U.S. And Israel to halt their attacks.
“Be prepared to see oil at $200 a barrel, because the price of oil depends on the security of the region you have destabilized,” said a spokesman for the Iranian military command, Ebrahim Zolfaqari.
Dispute at the UN
On Wednesday, the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate end to attacks against Gulf states.
“Today’s action is a blatant abuse of the Security Council’s mandate for the political agenda of certain members,” he said.
Retaliatory Strikes and Casualties
The Iranian military said it attacked a number of key targets in Israel, including military intelligence headquarters, a naval base in Haifa, and radar systems. They also stated they targeted U.S. Military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.
Meanwhile, U.S. And Israeli officials said the goal of the military operations is to stop Iran’s ability to project power abroad and destroy its nuclear program. They are also urging the Iranian people to overthrow the clerical government that has been in power since the 1979 revolution.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again called on the Iranian people to rise up against their government.
However, Iran’s Chief of Police, Ahmadreza Radan, warned that protesters would be treated as enemies.
“All our security forces are ready to pull the trigger.”
Conditions for Residents
Residents of Tehran say they are becoming accustomed to nightly airstrikes that are forcing hundreds of thousands to flee to the countryside and causing black rain from oil smoke to pollute the city.
“There was bombing last night, but I’m not as scared as I used to be. Life goes on,” said a resident named Farshid, 52.
According to Iravani, more than 1,300 Iranian civilians have been killed since the U.S. And Israeli airstrikes began on February 28.
In Lebanon, Israeli strikes against Hezbollah have killed 570 people, including 45 women and 86 children.
Meanwhile, Washington said seven U.S. Soldiers have been killed and around 140 others injured in the escalating conflict.
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