Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran
Tehran, Mar 5: The conflict in the region widened dramatically as Israel announced fresh strikes across Tehran and against what it described as Hezbollah-linked infrastructure in Beirut, while Iran reportedly launched a drone attack targeting an Amazon data centre in Bahrain, according to a state-affiliated Iranian news agency.
The escalation comes amid mounting global concern over the expanding theatre of operations, with Washington signalling a tougher military posture. In the United States, Republicans rejected a resolution seeking to require President Donald Trump to obtain congressional approval before initiating further military action against Tehran. Earlier, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff indicated that US forces would begin “striking progressively deeper” into Iranian territory.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon identified the two remaining US service members killed in a drone strike in Kuwait on Sunday, underscoring the growing human cost of the conflict.
Inside Iran, the death toll has reportedly crossed 1,000 since the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes over the weekend, according to a US-based human rights monitoring agency. The figures could not be independently verified.
As tensions rise, the United States Department of State has urged American citizens in the Gulf region to leave immediately. The advisory has prompted several American universities operating in the region to shift to remote instruction and suspend on-ground activities.
Institutions with campuses in Doha’s Education City — located about 40 kilometres from Al Udeid Air Base — and in the United Arab Emirates have announced precautionary measures.
Texas A&M University in Doha confirmed that over two dozen students travelling from Texas were diverted to Istanbul after the outbreak of hostilities. The university building in Qatar has been placed under lockdown, with no access permitted to staff, students or visitors.
Georgetown University’s Doha campus has transitioned to online instruction until further notice. The university also suspended a graduate business programme scheduled to begin in Dubai and is arranging for students to return home.
The dean of Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Doha informed faculty and staff that they may leave Qatar and teach remotely in the interest of personal safety. The university said there were no reports of injuries among its community members.
Similarly, New York University’s Abu Dhabi campus is assisting students seeking to depart the region, though officials noted that air travel remains challenging. The university reiterated that the safety of students and staff remains its top priority.
With strikes intensifying across multiple fronts — from Tehran to Beirut and beyond — and civilian infrastructure increasingly drawn into the conflict, diplomatic efforts appear strained. Observers warn that unless urgent de-escalation measures are initiated, the crisis could engulf a broader swathe of the Gulf region in the coming days.