Day 154 | Iran targets US bases across Middle East; deadly strikes escalate tensions
Latest updates:
- The IRGC says it targeted US military bases across the Middle East after US forces bombed a building on Iran’s Qeshm Island, killing a couple and their two-year-old child.
- Explosions from US attacks were also reported on Kish Island, in Bushehr province, and at four locations across Khuzestan province.
- Kuwait says one worker was killed in an Iranian attack on a building belonging to a Chinese company in the country's north.
- Iran says three IRGC members were killed in a US missile strike on Zanjan province.
- Iran's Foreign Ministry says talks with Omani officials are ongoing in Tehran over the Strait of Hormuz.
- The Iraqi military says there is no evidence that recent regional attacks were launched from Iraqi territory, following joint US-Saudi strikes on Iran-aligned groups in the country.
'Israel' plans domestic stealth jets; reduce reliance on US
- AI-powered drones to operate alongside fighter jets.
- Plan expands domestic defense production.
'Israel' aims to produce its own stealth fighter aircraft and autonomous unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) over the next ten years as part of a strategic push to diminish dependence on American military assistance, according to statements by a senior 'Israeli' official telling the Jerusalem Post.
Speaking to JP, the senior official outlined a long-term vision to build primary aerial combat platforms domestically to ensure operational continuity in the event of external supply disruptions.
"I can envision 'Israel' producing its own stealth fighter aircraft," the official stated. "If the assessment is that one day others may stop supplying these systems, then we should begin producing them ourselves. The goal is ten years from now."
Autonomous CCA key to force design
Alongside piloted stealth aircraft, the planned expansion focuses heavily on Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA).
Designed to operate in close coordination with manned fighters, these high-tech UCAVs rely on advanced artificial intelligence to execute autonomous or semi-autonomous missions in contested environments.
Their operational roles span intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), electronic warfare, and direct combat engagements.
By absorbing enemy fire, scouting hostile areas, and executing high-risk maneuvers, CCA platforms are designed to expand airpower reach and lethality while mitigating risks to human pilots.
The technological focus aligns with broader international developments, including the US Air Force's program targeting procurement of over 150 CCA units by fiscal year 2031 to complement platforms like the F-35 and Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) systems.
Independent manufacturing
The initiative builds on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policy to strengthen 'Israel's' local defense industry, which has historically focused on artillery, missile technology, cyber systems, and uncrewed reconnaissance drones rather than primary fighter jets.
While 'Israel' Aerospace Industries (IAI) previously developed the Kfir and the advanced Lavi fighter jet in the 1980s -a project canceled in 1987 due to budgetary constraints and political pressure from the US- 'Israel' has relied primarily on American-supplied manned aircraft for several decades.
Addressing future readiness, Col. Yishai Cohen, head of the Integration Department at the Defense Ministry's Directorate of Defense, Research, & Development (MAFAT), noted that establishing independent manufacturing at scale is now a top directive.
"There is a huge race in all countries to achieve those capabilities," Cohen stated regarding domestic platform production and CCA systems. "For my colleagues and me, that is a main lesson learned - we need to not only be in charge of development, but then scale and produce it independently in 'Israel' for the needs of the IDF."
Iran parliament speaker says US will 'pay the price' after Qeshm killings
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has warned that the United States will "pay the price" following the deaths of a couple and their two-year-old child in a strike on Iran's Qeshm Island.
In a post on X, Ghalibaf described the incident as a "continuation of the atrocities in Minab and Lamerd," referring to earlier attacks that he blamed on the US and "Israel."
According to Iranian authorities, at least 170 people were killed when a US-'Israeli' strike hit a primary school in the southern city of Minab on the first day of the war. A sports hall in the southwestern city of Lamerd was also struck the same day, killing at least 24 people.
Ghalibaf accused Washington of responding to setbacks on the battlefield by targeting civilians.
"The US has grown accustomed to making up for the slaps they receive on the battlefield by spilling the blood of the innocent," he wrote, adding: "They will pay the price."
The United States has not immediately commented on Ghalibaf's latest remarks.
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Read more: Day 153 | Trump vows retaliation after Iran targets US bases; US-Saudi strikes hit Iraq
