Iran-US War: Which countries are involved in the conflict and what are they up to?

The US-Iran conflict has entered its second week on Saturday, March 7. The attacks, which the US calls Operation Epic Fury and Israel calls Operation Roaring Lion, were launched by the two countries on February 28.

Though the conflict is into its second week, the US has not formally declared war on Iran, as under the Constitution, only Congress has the power to do so. Various high-ranking Trump administration officials have also been careful not to use the word ‘war’ while talking about the attacks, even though it is practically what it is.

Irrespective of whether the US has formally declared war against Iran, the ongoing conflict is shaping up to be one of the most consequential in the region in many decades. And its fallout is already being felt not in the three countries, but across the wider Middle East and beyond.

These are the countries that are directly involved in the war

United States

Israel

Iran

Countries that have been impacted by US-Iran war

Across the Middle East, with the exception of Egypt, all the Gulf states have come under attack, one way or another.

UAE

The United Arab Emirates has arguably paid the highest price for the war in which it is not directly involved. Emirates across the UAE, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ajman, were targeted and continue to be hit by Iranian retaliatory drone and missile strikes.

Saudi Arabia

Iran launched dozens of missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia, including at the Prince Sultan Air Base, which is the hub for the Royal Saudi Air Force and has hosted significant US military forces since 2019.

Kuwait

Iran targeted US bases in Kuwait, including Port Shuaiba, where six army reserve soldiers were killed on March 1, after a drone breached the air defenses there. The Ali Al-Salem Air Base, Camp Buehring and the US Embassy in Kuwait City have also come under attack in the past few days. Kuwait was also the scene of another major incident in the war, when three US F-15 fighter jets were shot down in “friendly fire”.

Bahrain

Iranian drones and missiles have targeted the NSA Bahrain, which is the US Navy 5th Fleet’s Headquarters in Juffair, Manama.

Qatar

The Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which serves as the forward headquarters for US Central Command, the largest US military facility in the Middle East, was one of the key targets of the Iranian retaliatory strikes. A barrage of ballistic missiles and drones have inflicted significant damage to the facility including the reported destruction of an AN/FPS-132 radar system.

Qatar’s largest natural gas plant also sustained damages in an Iranian strike.

Oman

Oman has been largely spared by Iran, which described the country as “friend and neighbor”. There have been isolated incidents in which two vessels were struck off the coast of Oman.

Iraq

Iraq has come under attack by both the US-Israeli coalition and Iran. While the US and Israel targeted a facility in southern Iraq, housing the pro-Iran Popular Mobilization Forces, Iran struck US facilities in Erbil and Baghdad, and Kurdish separatists in the country.

Syria

Iran-backed militias have launched attacks at US military installations in eastern Syria, such as the Al-Omar oil field and Rumalyn Landing Zone.

Jordan

Jordan has been hit by several Iranian missiles and drones in the past week. The most notable was the destruction of a $300 million AN/TPY-2 radar system used for US THAAD missile defenses at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base.

Cyprus

The British Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri came under a drone attack on Monday. While the attack was carried out using a Shahed-type kamikaze drone, the UK Ministry of Defense confirmed that it was not launched from Iran.

lebanon

Lebanon has come under intense airstrikes and ground incursions by Israel since the war broke out. The Israeli strikes came in response to a wave of attacks launched by the pro-Iranian Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. More than 200 people have been killed and over 800 have been injured in the country in Israeli attacks.

Countries not directly involved

Several European countries have pledged military aid following the attack on the Akrotiri base in Cyprus. The United Kingdom, France, Greece, and Turkey also pledged anti-missile and anti-drone systems as well as air defenses and warships.

The UK has also allowed the US to use the joint military base for “defensive” US action against Iranian missile sites.

Non-state actors

Over the past few decades, Iran has built an Axis of Resistance, a group of armed groups in the region to fight Israel. However, during the ongoing conflict, only Hezbollah and the Popular Mobilization Forces have made their presence felt in the conflict by launching attacks on Israel. Two of the most prominent names in the Axis of Resistance, Hamas and the Houthis in Yemen have so far stayed out.