World affairs and cross-region developments.
The United States has launched its sixth consecutive night of attacks on Iran, prompting retaliatory strikes from Tehran against multiple Gulf countries and US bases in the region.
Why it matters
This escalating military confrontation between the US and Iran, involving direct attacks on each other's interests and regional allies, poses a severe threat to Middle East stability, global energy markets, and international shipping lanes, particularly the Strait of Hormuz.
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The US has launched its sixth consecutive night of attacks against Iran, targeting infrastructure in the country's south. Iran has warned of wider war if the attacks continue.
Six consecutive days of US-Iran combat are pushing the region toward all-out war, undermining last month's interim peace deal. The Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed, Iran has urged Houthi allies to choke the Red Sea route, and Gulf states hosting US bases are now in the line of fire.
The US has expanded strikes into northern Iran, hitting Tehran for the first time in the latest round, while Iran launched retaliatory strikes against three US-allied Arab states. A tanker was disabled in the strait of Hormuz as oil prices climbed above $85 a barrel.
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