Iranian TV: 'The American aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln has been hit.' And Tehran threatens US soldiers: 'We are waiting for you'

Another country has been touched by the escalation sweeping the Middle East in the context of the conflict between Israel and the United States on one side and Iran on the other: Azerbaijan has reported a drone attack attributed to Tehran, announcing "retaliation". These are signs of a further spiral of tension: while the coalition bombings continue over the Iranian capital, the Revolutionary Guards respond by targeting several Gulf countries, and the regime claims to be ready to face a possible "ground invasion" by U.S. troops.

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Meanwhile, as pressure from the IDF on Lebanon against Hezbollah increases, NATO has convened its Council after a missile was directed towards Turkey, announcing a strengthening of its defensive posture against "ballistic threats". "A terrorist act has been perpetrated by Iran on our territory," denounced Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, adding that he had ordered the Armed Forces to "prepare and implement retaliatory measures."

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According to the Baku Ministry of Defense, four unmanned aerial vehicles were launched against "a school building, which crashed near the building" and against "the airport terminal in the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan". The provisional toll is four injured. The Iranian ambassador, summoned by Azerbaijani diplomacy, responded by claiming that the attack was the work of Israel.

For some time, Tehran has feared that the Jewish state, a close ally of Azerbaijan and its arms supplier, might use the territory of the former Soviet republic in the Caucasus to strike Iran. The raid in Azerbaijan has been condemned by Turkey, which the day before had detected an Iranian ballistic missile in its airspace, neutralized by NATO defenses. Recep Tayyip Erdogan remains cautious, however: during the Atlantic Alliance Council meeting, there was no discussion of activating Article 5, which provides for collective assistance among allies. The organization's forces remain "vigilant" and "ready to defend" its members.

In the Gulf, the defenses of Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates have continued to intercept salvos of Iranian drones and missiles, primarily aimed at U.S. bases, with residents alerted by numerous explosions. In Abu Dhabi, there are six injuries due to debris from a drone, while in Dubai, the WHO has suspended operations at the health emergency logistics center.

The state television of Tehran has announced a new attack on the American aircraft carrier Lincoln. The broadcaster reported that drones from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly struck the naval unit deployed in the Gulf area since the end of January, without providing further details. On Monday, the IRGC had already claimed to have hit the aircraft carrier with four Iranian missiles, a claim dismissed as a "lie" by the U.S. Central Command (Centcom). The Pasdaran also claimed today to have sunk a U.S. tanker in Kuwait.

The Iraqi front is also heating up: Iranian targets have targeted an American base in Erbil and the headquarters of Kurdish forces. In Tehran, there is growing fear that "thousands of fighters" may cross the northwestern border to fight on the ground. Some American media had already reported on an ongoing offensive; in any case, preparations seem to be underway, especially in light of the news that Donald Trump allegedly offered "air cover to the rebels".

On the Lebanese theater, the Idf, in an unprecedented move, has ordered hundreds of thousands of residents in the southern suburbs of Beirut, considered strongholds of Hezbollah, to "evacuate immediately," as bombings continue on the positions of the Shiite militias. "Soon the area will become like Khan Yunis," warned the ultra-conservative minister Bezalel Smotrich. To contain the crisis, the Lebanese government has banned the entry of Pasdaran into the country, providing for "arrest" in case of violation. On the other side of the border, the situation appears relatively more stable, despite the alarm sirens: Ben Gurion airport has reopened after five days. Tehran, on the other hand, remains in the crosshairs of American and Israeli raids, extended to the entire province. "We are ready for a ground invasion, we are waiting for them, it would be a disaster for them," declared Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.