The Guardian: US-Iran war is spreading

Guardian columnist Mohamad Bazzi said the US-Iran war has spread across the Middle East over the past week, with strikes and counterstrikes in at least five other countries. Bazzi wrote that Trump’s conflict was escalating and could disrupt energy supplies, prices and the global economy.

Pentagon resumed almost nightly strikes against Iran after a few days of relative calm, and that Tehran retaliated against US military bases in the region. Attacks had also extended to Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Yemen, Jordan and Egypt, while US-Iran peace talks brokered by Pakistan and Qatar showed “little sign” of progress.

The most serious escalation came on Wednesday, when Saudi Arabia announced it had joined the US in airstrikes inside Iraq against the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces, killing at least 20 fighters. Trump said US and Saudi forces coordinated with the Iraqi government, but Iraqi leaders quickly denied prior knowledge.

Saudi Arabia was reportedly planning a major offensive against the Houthis in Yemen, another Iranian ally.