In a dangerous new expansion of the Iran War, Iraqi Kurdistan has come under heavy attack as Iranian-backed militias unleashed a barrage of rockets and drones on U.S. and coalition positions, killing at least one French soldier and wounding several others.

Explosions rocked Erbil and surrounding areas late Thursday as multiple rockets slammed into coalition facilities near Erbil International Airport and U.S. military outposts. A French soldier serving with coalition forces was confirmed killed in the ᴀssault — the first French combat death in the escalating conflict. Several American and Kurdish personnel were also reported injured as fires engulfed parts of the base.

The attack comes just hours after Iran launched fresh waves of ballistic missiles toward Israel. Sirens blared across Tel Aviv, Beersheba, and northern Israel as the IRGC fired another punishing barrage, the latest in a relentless campaign that has now reached its 43rd major wave. Israeli air defenses intercepted many projectiles, but several impacts were reported, with fires breaking out in southern and central regions.

Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s regime is clearly widening the battlefield. By striking deep into Iraqi Kurdistan while continuing to hammer Israel, Iran is forcing the U.S. and its allies to fight on multiple fronts simultaneously.

This puts enormous pressure on Washington. The U.S. has already spent more than $11 billion in munitions during the first week of Operation Epic Fury. Both the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln remain compromised by repeated fires and missile threats, critical radar systems have been destroyed across the region, and America’s interceptor stockpiles are critically depleted.

With a French soldier now killed on coalition soil and Israeli cities once again under fire, the conflict is rapidly internationalizing. NATO allies are growing visibly uneasy as their personnel come under direct threat.

What began as a confident U.S.-Israeli operation to crush Iran has now morphed into a sprawling regional war. Iranian proxies are striking American positions in Iraq, French forces are taking casualties, and Israel continues to absorb heavy missile punishment.

As smoke rises over Erbil and sirens echo across Israel, one reality is becoming impossible to deny: Operation Epic Fury is not containing Iran — it is awakening a wider and far more dangerous confrontation.

The war is spreading. The casualties are mounting. And Tehran shows no intention of backing down.