Strikes across Iranian cities, Gulf states, and Lebanon push oil prices higher and displace millions
On Day 18 of the US-Israel war with Iran, the conflict has escalated sharply, leaving civilians dead, infrastructure damaged, and global energy markets in turmoil.
In Iran, attacks on multiple cities, including Tehran, Karaj, Shiraz, and Arak, killed a three-day-old infant and his two-year-old sister, along with their mother and grandmother, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Amnesty International confirmed a US strike on a primary school in Minab killed at least 170 people, most of them girls. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized Tehran’s right to self-defense.
The war has spread across the Gulf, with UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia reporting drone and missile attacks on energy infrastructure, some causing casualties. Air defenses have intercepted dozens of incoming projectiles, and temporary airspace closures were implemented in the UAE.
In Israel, Hezbollah attacks in Lebanon and missile fragments falling in Jerusalem have raised fears of wider regional conflict. Israeli forces conducted limited ground operations in Lebanon, displacing over one million Lebanese civilians.
In Iraq, attacks targeted the US Embassy in Baghdad, a hotel in the Green Zone, and southern oilfields, while senior Kataib Hezbollah commanders were reported killed.
The conflict is having a global economic impact, with Brent crude hitting $106 per barrel. Japan has begun releasing strategic oil reserves to stabilize markets as the Strait of Hormuz remains tense.
The war shows no signs of slowing, with ongoing attacks across multiple countries and mounting civilian and economic consequences.
Source: Al Jazeera