Escalating Conflict: US-Iran Rivalry Spreads Across Middle East

The ongoing conflict between the US and Iran has been escalating across the Middle East, with multiple fronts opening up in recent weeks.

The epicenter of the violence is the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway that carries around 20% of the world's traded oil and gas. The US has struck Iranian targets in response to Iranian attacks on ships attempting to use an alternative route overseen by the US military along the coast of Oman.

The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have declared a blockade on Saudi Arabia, threatening shipping through another major trade route leading through the Bab el-Mandeb strait and the Red Sea up to Egypt's Suez Canal. This has led to a significant decrease in oil transits, with over 10 vessels turning back in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since the Houthi naval blockade was announced.

The US and Saudi fighter aircraft have bombed militia sites in Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters and six Iranian advisers. The Iraqi government has condemned the strikes, saying they came as it was trying to investigate what had happened.