India, March 7 -- The Middle East conflict widened dramatically on Saturday after Iran claimed responsibility for a large-scale drone strike on a US-run air base in the United Arab Emirates, an escalation that follows Israel attacks Iran and the region braces for a broader confrontation.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that its naval drone units launched what it described as a "massive attack" targeting the Al-Dhafra Air Base, a strategic installation used by US forces and coalition partners located south of Abu Dhabi.

In a statement released early Saturday in Tehran, the IRGC said the operation involved multiple drones striking key military infrastructure inside the base. According to the statement, the drone...