A widening Middle East conflict escalated on Thursday as Israel launched a new wave of strikes on Iran, which retaliated with attacks on the Gulf nations of Qatar and Bahrain The exchanges mark a dangerous new phase in a war that began Saturday with US-Israeli attacks on Iran, which reportedly killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Explosions were heard over Tehran and Doha, with a thick column of smoke visible in the Qatari capital, signaling a rapid expansion of the conflict
The war's scope has broadened geographically, with incidents reported as far as the Sri Lankan coast, where a US submarine allegedly torpedoed an Iranian warship, and Azerbaijan, which threatened retaliation after a drone strike on an airport Russia's foreign ministry has accused the United States and Israel of deliberately provoking Iran into striking Arab countries in order to draw them into a wider conflagration Moscow has condemned the US-Israeli strikes, called for a ceasefire, and stated that Iran has not requested Russian arms supplies
The escalation is threatening key shipping routes and raising alarms about regional stability EU foreign chief Kaja Kallas stated that European officials are "extremely worried" about maritime security, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, and that Gulf countries have voiced concerns about a potential civil war inside Iran The conflict poses a significant challenge to food security in the Gulf, as the region is 80-90% dependent on imports that could be disrupted Amid the fighting, the EU is pushing for a diplomatic solution to break what Kallas called a "cycle of escalation"
Mohsin Rana
