Iran Shipping Attacks Deepen Global Economic Concerns
The ongoing American-Israeli war with Iran, for all its complexity and global implications, boils down to a single question: Who can endure the pain the longest? The rise in oil prices points to perhaps Iran’s most effective weapon and the United States’ biggest weakness in continuing this campaign: harming the world economy.
Wednesday’s key developments include Iran’s attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and around Dubai International Airport, escalating its campaign to clamp down on the oil-rich Gulf region as global energy concerns grow.
The US air strike campaign against Iran is now in its 12th day with no end in sight. A US commander said artificial intelligence had helped the military hit more than 5,500 targets in the country. Israeli intelligence assessment shows that Iran’s new religious leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, was also injured at the beginning of the war.
Witnesses in Tehran said they heard loud air strikes and intense anti-aircraft fire on Wednesday, as columns of smoke blanketed the sky and a layer of gray dust settled over the city. The air is filled with the distinctive smell of burning gunpowder and gasoline. They spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid retaliation.
The Israeli army is also striking Iran and its militant ally Hezbollah in Lebanon, where more than 800,000 people have been displaced by the conflict.
