Middle East in Chaos as US-Israel War on Iran Rages On
Dramatic expansion of the US-Israel war on Iran across the Middle East, with attacks on US allies and mistaken shootdowns. Casualties mount in Iran, Lebanon, and beyond.
A spiraling conflict is engulfing the Middle East as the joint US and Israeli war on Iran dramatically escalates, with casualties and destruction reported across at least nine countries in under 10 hours on Monday.
The crisis was sparked by a US and Israeli attack that killed Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Saturday. In retaliation, Hezbollah struck at northern Israel, prompting a fierce Israeli response that has since expanded into a full-blown regional conflagration.
Israeli and US warplanes have launched a fresh wave of air strikes across Iran, where the Iranian Red Crescent Society says more than 500 people have been killed since the conflict began. Israel has also unleashed an intense wave of attacks into Lebanon after Hezbollah's initial reprisal.
The US-led campaign has now drawn in US allies in the Gulf states, with reports of Iranian missile and drone strikes hitting targets in countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait. In a shocking development, three US fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwait, resulting in further casualties.
The rapidly escalating violence has global leaders gravely concerned about the potential for the conflict to spiral out of control and draw in other regional and international powers. Calls for an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation have so far gone unheeded, as the US, Israel, and Iran show no signs of backing down.
Analysts warn that the expanding battlegrounds and increasing casualties could make it increasingly difficult to find a diplomatic solution, raising the specter of a protracted and devastating regional war. Civilians across the Middle East now find themselves caught in the middle of this dangerously intensifying conflict.
With no end in sight, the US-Israel war on Iran appears to be dragging the entire Middle East into a maelstrom of violence and instability. The international community will be closely watching to see if cooler heads can prevail and halt the cycle of retaliation and escalation.
Source: The Guardian
