Iran Conflict

• Iran-backed Houthi rebels have expanded their conflict by implementing a blockade on Saudi ships in the Red Sea. • This escalation follows a series of military actions, including the U.S. launching strikes against Iran for the 10th consecutive night. • The blockade is expected to increase pressure on global energy markets, while Tehran reports receiving new proposals from mediators to resolve the tension.

• Top ASEAN diplomats are convening for a summit to address critical regional and global security threats. • Key agenda items include the escalating conflict between the US and Iran, as well as the ongoing instability and civil war in Myanmar. • The meeting is significant as Southeast Asian leaders seek to navigate geopolitical tensions and maintain regional stability amidst superpower friction.

Kuwait says civilian sites and infrastructure targeted, Jordan downs missiles and sirens sound in Bahrain as Iran responds to US strikesIran launched a wave of attacks against US allies in the Middle East, as the renewal of US strikes on Iran entered a second week and fighting escalated over the strait of Hormuz.Kuwait has accused Iran of targeting civilian sites and vital infrastructure in the country, such as a power and water desalination plant. Kuwait, which is extremely arid, relies on desalinated water for about 90% of its drinking water. Continue reading...

US Central Command says attacks designed to ‘continue degrading Iranian military capabilities’The US military said it had launched a seventh consecutive night of strikes on Iran on Friday night as fighting escalated over the strait of Hormuz.US Central Command, in a post on X, said the strikes, which began at 7pm GMT, were designed to “continue degrading Iranian military capabilities”. Continue reading...

US renews blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran attacks sites in Bahrain and Kuwait. Plus, legendary director John Waters on 60 years of screen carnageGood morning. The US has fired on an oil tanker attempting to reach Kharg Island in the strait of Hormuz as part of its blockade on Iranian ports, as Tehran came under attack for the first time in the latest round of strikes.The US targeted coastal defences and missile sites, as well as targets farther north, with state media reporting strikes on the country’s capital, Tehran. The US also said it had disabled the unladen oil tanker, firing Hellfire missiles into the ship’s smokestack after it ignored multiple warnings.What other development have happened in the region? Donald Trump said Iran has released a US citizen detained since 2024, identified as Dena Karari, a dual US-Iranian citizen. Meanwhile, the Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, told US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, that Israel was determined to keep its forces in “security zones” in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza.What did the man’s family say? Arenas-Silva’s sister and immigrants’ rights groups in Georgia said in a press statement that ICE did not provide him with necessary medications during his time in detention for an unnamed condition he was dealing with, despite his family’s pleas that he take the medications during his arrest last week.How is the crisis becoming more international? Mexico has formally requested that US state attorneys general criminally investigate cases of immigrants who have died in ICE custody or during raids, the Mexican government has said. Since the beginning of Donald Trump’s second term, 17 Mexican immigrants have died during immigration enforcement, 14 in ICE custody and three in agency operations. Continue reading...

• Gulf states have prioritized diplomacy and regional stability over military conflict as the US-Iran tension enters its fifth month. • While Washington struggled to find a clear path forward, Gulf nations focused on de-escalation and securing the critical shipping lanes of the Strait of Hormuz. • This shift highlights a divergence in strategy, where regional priorities for stability have proven more durable than the initial assumptions made by US policymakers.

• The military confrontation between the United States and Iran escalated on Tuesday as U.S. forces conducted their third consecutive night of strikes against Iranian targets. • In retaliation, Tehran claimed to have launched missile and drone attacks targeting U.S.-linked military facilities located in Bahrain and Jordan. • This cycle of aggression significantly increases the risk of a wider regional conflict, threatening stability across the Middle East.