The escalation comes in the third week of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, which has left at least 2,000 people dead and disrupted critical energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

Gulf targets hitIranian strikes hit oil and transport infrastructure in the UAE, where a drone struck a facility in Fujairah for a second consecutive day and debris from an intercepted missile fell in Abu Dhabi, killing one person, authorities said.

Rockets and drones also targeted the U.S. embassy in Baghdad in what Iraqi security sources described as the most intense such assault since the conflict began, though U.S. officials said no injuries were reported.Iran’s attacks have also extended to other Gulf states, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait, signalling a broader regional response.

Trump remarks and intelligence warnings.Trump said the scope of Iran’s retaliation had come as a surprise. “They weren’t supposed to go after all these other countries in the Middle East.

Nobody expected that. We were shocked,” he said.However, U.S. officials and sources familiar with intelligence assessments said the president had been warned before the conflict that strikes on Iran could provoke retaliatory attacks against Gulf allies, particularly if Tehran perceived them as supporting U.S. operations.

There was no pause in hostilities, with Iran launching overnight missile strikes on Israel, demonstrating continued long-range strike capability despite sustained bombardment.

Israel said it carried out a fresh wave of strikes on targets in Tehran and positions linked to Hezbollah in Beirut, and signalled plans for several more weeks of military operations.

Energy and market impactThe widening conflict has kept the Strait of Hormuz largely constrained, as U.S. allies declined to join efforts to secure the waterway.

The disruption has raised concerns over energy supplies, pushed up oil prices and intensified fears of inflation globally.

Speaking in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian specialists have already been deployed to several countries in the region to help assess defenses against kamikaze drones used by Iran.

Each Ukrainian team consists of dozens of experts tasked with analyzing local air-defense capabilities and demonstrating effective counter-drone strategies.

According to the Ukrainian leader, teams have been sent to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, while specialists have also visited a U.S. military base in Jordan. The deployments come as Gulf states face growing threats from Iranian “Shahed” kamikaze drones and have expended significant numbers of air-defense missiles trying to intercept them.

Ukraine has gained extensive experience countering such drones during its war with Russia. Ukrainian forces regularly intercept drones using a mix of air-defense systems, electronic jamming equipment, and smaller interceptor drones that provide a cheaper alternative to expensive missile systems.

Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine’s assistance does not mean involvement in military operations against Iran. Instead, he described the mission as a defensive effort focused on sharing knowledge and conducting detailed evaluations of regional air-defense strategies.

“This is not about participating in operations. We are not at war with Iran,” Zelenskyy said, stressing that Ukraine’s role is limited to technical advice and strategic assessments on how to counter the Iranian-made Shahed drones.

He added that nearly a dozen countries worldwide have approached Ukraine seeking guidance on defending against drone attacks, reflecting Kyiv’s growing reputation in drone warfare and electronic defense.However, Zelenskyy made clear that Ukraine expects tangible benefits from its assistance.

“Honestly, for us today, both the technology and the funding are important,” he said, noting that discussions about what Ukraine will receive in return are still ongoing.

The Ukrainian president also said it remains uncertain whether Kyiv and the United States will finalize a long-discussed agreement on drone cooperation, negotiations for which have been underway for months.

As drone warfare becomes an increasingly central feature of modern conflicts, Ukraine’s battlefield experience is now positioning the country as an emerging global source of expertise in counter-drone defense.

In a statement, the Palestinian Islamist movement said it supported Iran’s right to respond to what it described as aggression but appealed to Tehran to avoid military actions that could draw additional countries into the conflict.

“While affirming the right of the Islamic Republic of Iran to respond to this aggression by all available means in accordance with international norms and laws, the movement calls on the brothers in Iran to avoid targeting neighboring countries,” Hamas said. The statement marked the group’s first public appeal of this nature directed at Tehran.

Hamas also called on the international community to work toward an immediate end to the war that has engulfed the region since late February.

The group previously condemned the killing of Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, on the first day of the conflict, describing it as a “heinous crime” and crediting him with providing political, diplomatic and military backing to the Palestinian movement over many years.

Despite facing U.S. and Israeli military pressure, Iran has launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes that have reached at least 10 countries since the start of the conflict, according to statements cited by Hamas.

Authorities in Qatar said two missiles were intercepted on Saturday after explosions were heard in the capital Doha, prompting evacuations in parts of the city.

Meanwhile, NATO forces intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Iran in the airspace of Turkiye on Friday, Turkish officials said.

The conflict has also intensified along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where the Iran-aligned group Hezbollah fired hundreds of rockets at Israel shortly after the war began. Lebanese authorities say nearly 800 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the escalation.

Iran has long been one of Hamas’s principal backers, with analysts estimating that Tehran provided the movement with tens of millions of dollars annually.

Under Khamenei, support for Palestinian groups formed a central element of Iran’s regional strategy against Israel and its allies. Several Sunni-majority states have also maintained ties with Hamas, including Qatar, which has funded humanitarian and reconstruction programs in Gaza, and Turkiye, which has provided political and diplomatic support under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Qatar has hosted Hamas’s political leadership in Doha, enabling the group to maintain international contacts and participate in mediation and negotiation efforts related to Gaza.

The conversation came as fighting involving the United States, Israel and Iran continues to expand across the region, raising concerns among international leaders about broader instability and disruptions to global energy markets.

Carney and the Qatari emir emphasized the importance of strengthening diplomatic efforts to contain the conflict and prevent further escalation, according to the statement from the Canadian leader’s office.

The two leaders also condemned Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting Qatar. Carney expressed Canada’s solidarity with Qatar following the strikes.

“In accordance with international law, the leaders called for an immediate end to attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure that only serve to destabilise the region and worsen the global economic and energy situation,” the statement said.

Hostilities escalated after the United States and Israel began military strikes against Iran on Feb. 28. Iran subsequently launched retaliatory attacks against Israel and several Gulf states hosting U.S. military bases.

U.S. President Donald Trump has offered varying objectives and timelines for the military campaign. The conflict has resulted in significant casualties inside Iran, including the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to the information provided.

At least 1,230 people have been killed in Iran since the start of the conflict, according to the humanitarian organisation Iranian Red Crescent Society.

Among them were 175 schoolgirls and staff killed in a missile strike on a primary school in southern Iran, the group said.

Iran’s military has also reported that more than 100 people were killed when a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka last week.

Israeli authorities say 11 civilians have been killed in Israel since the conflict began, while the U.S. military has reported that seven American service members have died.