Iran renews attacks on US Gulf allies, Trump says that was not expected

TEL AVIV/WASHINGTON, March 17 (Reuters) – Iran launched fresh attacks on the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, the kind of strikes on U.S. Gulf allies that ​President Donald Trump said had not been expected, but which sources said he had been warned about before the conflict.

The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran is in its third week with at least 2,000 people ‌dead and no end in sight. The Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed off, with U.S. allies rebuffing Trump’s request for help to reopen the critical waterway, raising energy prices and fears of inflation.

There was no let-up in attacks by both sides early on Tuesday, with Iran launching missiles on Israel overnight, underscoring that Tehran still retains the capacity to carry out long-range strikes despite more than two weeks of pounding by U.S. and Israeli weapons.

The Israeli military said it was targeting “Iranian regime infrastructure” with a new wave of strikes across ​Tehran, as well as Hezbollah sites in Beirut, a day after saying it had drawn up detailed plans for at least three more weeks of war with Iran.

Rockets and at least five drones targeted the U.S. ​embassy in Baghdad early on Tuesday, Iraqi security sources said, describing it as the most intense assault since the war began. Two U.S. officials said no injuries were ⁠reported so far.