Millions in Shelters Across Israel Amid Massive Iran-Hezbollah Barrage; Qatari F-15s Intercept Iranian Bombers Near Major US Base

At around 2 AM Israel time, a coordinated, multi-front assault by Iran and Hezbollah sent millions of Israelis scrambling for bomb shelters in the dead of night, while a dramatic aerial dogfight over Qatari waters narrowly averted a catastrophe at a massive American military installation.

A Night of Fire: Israel Under Siege

As mentioned, at approximately 2:00 AM local time, air raid sirens pierced the silence across Central Israel, Jerusalem, and the Northern Valleys. For over 90 minutes, a relentless wave of ballistic missiles and suicide drones rained down from both the north and the east.

"Two Minutes from Catastrophe": The Battle for Al-Udeid

Meanwhile, U.S. F-15 fighters engaged and shot down two Iranian Su-24 tactical bombers over the Persian Gulf. According to senior sources speaking to CNN, the heavily armed Iranian jets were flying at an extremely low altitude of just 24 meters (80 feet) in a desperate bid to evade radar. Their target: Al-Udeid Air Base, which houses over 10,000 U.S. service members.

Author and analyst Peter Schweizer warned that the destruction of Iran’s defense infrastructure has dealt a terminal blow to Beijing’s regional ambitions. "China has effectively lost two of its most critical allies in the developing world tonight," Schweizer noted.

"China provided its most advanced air defense systems to Iran, and they have been completely dismantled. If the U.S. chooses to close the Strait of Hormuz, nearly half of China’s oil supply vanishes overnight".

In Washington, the U.S. Senate has voted against a resolution to halt the war, signaling continued legislative support for the ongoing military operations. Meanwhile, in the north, officials in Iraqi Kurdistan have denied rumors of a ground invasion into Iran, though reports indicate that various regional militias are mobilizing for a potential escalation.