US announces attacks early on Thursday, as experts say strikes carried out by both sides in previous day increase risk of return to all-out war US-Saudi strikes in Iraq push region into ‘uncharted territory’, analysts warn Welcome to our live coverage of the continuing crisis in the Middle East. The ​US has said it is conducting ​airstrikes ‌in ‌Iran, after a lull of several days in direct US attacks on targets in Iran. The renewed hostilities sent oil prices spiking. Brent crude, the international standard, jumped 7.3% to $88 a barrel. The office of the Iraqi president, Nizar Amidi, called the US-Saudi airstrikes on multiple logistics and weapons sites in eastern Iraq “a blatant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty”. An oil refinery in Jazan, on the Red Sea coast, had temporarily shut down due to “relatively significant” damage from a Houthi attack on Saturday, a Saudi official told the Associated Press. Saudi Arabia is seeking to build an international coalition to protect ⁠shipping in the ⁠Red ​Sea from Houthi attacks, Reuters quoted two people familiar with the deliberations as saying. Continue reading...