US-Iran strikes escalate Gulf conflict, civilian toll rises

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According to multiple major outlets, U.S. Central Command reports that American forces have carried out fresh strikes on Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other Iranian military assets, including air defense sites, radar systems and maritime capabilities in and around the Gulf.[1][5] Reuters and other agencies note that Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks targeting its Gulf neighbors and regional shipping, with at least 18 people reported killed in the latest U.S. assault, including four at a wedding, and dozens more wounded.[2][1][5] BBC reporting adds that Saudi Arabia says an Iranian attack on a Saudi tanker in the Strait of Hormuz killed two sailors, highlighting the growing risk to commercial shipping lanes critical to global energy supplies.[13] This military tit-for-tat comes as global economic institutions warn that financial markets are increasingly exposed to amplification risks from the Middle East war, underscoring how the confrontation between Washington and Tehran is shifting from a contained proxy conflict toward a broader regional crisis with humanitarian, economic and diplomatic repercussions well beyond the Gulf.[12][1][2][13]

Sources: Associated Press, Reuters, ABC News, NBC News, BBC, Al Jazeera, IMF