The Guardian view on the expanding Iran crisis: no clear aim and no end in sight | Editorial

"Those who warned that the US-Israeli attack on Iran would lead to war engulfing the Middle East have proved, if anything, conservative in their predictions. A Hezbollah-launched drone hit an RAF airbase in Cyprus at the weekend. On Wednesday, Azerbaijan reported strikes on an airbase (though Iran denied responsibility, as it did over a missile fired towards Turkey)."

"Far from seeking to de-escalate, Israel and the US talk of weeks' more conflict and the US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, promises death and destruction from the sky all day long. Israel believes it has a unique opportunity to destroy an adversary and sees only advantages in persisting until Iran falls into chaos."

"Their offensive has also killed more than 1,000 civilians so far, including scores of children, according to a US-based rights group. As Iran retaliates, hoping America's allies will try to rein it back, it is targeting US bases and civilian sites across the region—even in Oman, which was at the forefront of efforts to stave off the war."

Following the assassination of Iran's supreme leader, US and Israeli military actions have triggered extensive regional conflict. The offensive has killed over 1,000 civilians, including children. Iran retaliates by targeting US bases and civilian sites across the region, including in Oman. Israel has evacuated hundreds of thousands from southern Lebanon due to Hezbollah retaliation. The conflict has expanded beyond initial targets, with strikes reported in Cyprus, Azerbaijan, and Turkey. The US sank an Iranian warship near Sri Lanka, killing at least 87 people. Energy prices have surged due to Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz. Rather than seeking de-escalation, US and Israeli leadership indicate weeks of continued conflict ahead, with plans to support Kurdish fighters in Iraq, risking civil war and regional fragmentation.

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