As the conflict in the Middle East is now in its seventh day, it has taken a much more volatile turn as Iran initiates a new round of missile strikes against Israel and the US military bases in the Middle East. Although it is reported that the Israeli air defence systems have intercepted a large percentage of the incoming fire, there are no signs of the conflict dying down.
Israeli forces have simultaneously ramped up operations against Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, where strikes have claimed at least eight lives in the latest round of fighting.
The human cost of the week-long war is becoming increasingly staggering. Official reports suggest that more than 1,230 people have been killed in Iran, while Lebanon has seen over 70 fatalities. In Israel, approximately a dozen people have lost their lives, and the US military has confirmed the deaths of six troops. This instability has resulted in the closure of the US Embassy in Kuwait following direct Iranian retaliatory strikes against the Gulf nation, which is an ominous development in terms of an escalation in geography.
The economic consequences of these strikes have been felt around the world as the Hormuz Strait remains one of the key flashpoints in this conflict. As the traffic through this vital waterway has come to a crawl, oil prices have risen, causing jitters around the world as people fear an energy crisis that will last for quite some time. On the political side, US President Donald Trump has made his intentions very clear, indicating his desire for an intervention in the power transfer in Iran following the passing of their Supreme Leader.
Also read: Middle East war enters Day 7; No end in sight
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