The war in the Middle East spiralled further as Israel and the US pounded Iran in a campaign that US President Donald Trump said would likely take several weeks. Tehran and its allies hit back against Israel, neighbouring Gulf states and targets critical to the world’s energy production.
The intensity of the attacks, the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the lack of any apparent exit plan set the stage for a prolonged conflict with far-reaching consequences. Safe havens in the Mideast like Dubai have seen incoming fire; hundreds of thousands of airline passengers are stranded around the globe; oil prices shot up; and US allies pledged to help stop Iranian…