Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) – In an open field dotted with sheep and goats more than 900 kilometres from the Iranian capital, Tehran, an unexploded missile wedged into the ground proves a curiosity for a Syrian “shepherd boy”.
He is among a small group of men and children who examine the black rocket — with burnt orange patches — that fell from the sky and landed near the Qamishli International Airport, as the war being waged by the US and Israel on Iran continues.
About a dozen countries have been affected by the conflict, hundreds have been killed and the war has spread across the Middle East and beyond.
Azerbaijan has become the latest country to be affected by the conflict after it accused Iran of launching a drone attack on its territory that injured four civilians.
The country, located along the boundary of eastern Europe and western Asia, said drones attacked the exclave of Nakhchivan and damaged an airport building, according to a statement released by the foreign Ministry.
President Ilham Aliyev also accused Iran of carrying out “a groundless act of terror and aggression,” and said his military had been told to prepare and implement retaliatory measures.
The incident came a day after NATO air defences destroyed an Iranian ballistic missile heading towards Turkish airspace, in another sign that the war is extending beyond the Middle East.
Authorities said the missile was intercepted near Türkiye’s Incirlik base where US air forces were stationed.
The NATO ally had attempted to mediate peace talks between US and Iran prior to the beginning of the conflict, saying all parties should refrain from actions that would lead to “further escalation”.
“We condemn Iran’s targeting of Türkiye. NATO stands firmly with all Allies, including Türkiye,” NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said.
The US has also sunk an Iranian navy vessel near Sri Lanka, extending the conflict’s reach further.
United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said the ongoing conflict was affecting the lives of civilians in a dozen countries across the region.
“First, civilians are paying the price across the region,” he said.
“Civilians and civilian infrastructure have been under attack in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and beyond.”
Humanitarian response plans had been activated and damage assessments were underway across Iran and in countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Gaza and the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, he said.
The reported cost to human life as a result of the conflict has been the highest in Iran.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency estimates more than 1,000 civilians have died in the conflict so far.