Stakes rising in Middle East as war enters second week

The US said it would expand its aerial campaign against Iran, Israel stepped up strikes against Tehran, and the Islamic Republic attacked regional capitals — with little sign of respite in the week-long conflict.

Riyadh and Doha said they intercepted drones, Dubai residents received missile alerts on their phones, and hotels were targeted in Manama; Iran fired upon Israel, while Israeli forces hit Lebanon.

If anything, the multi-front conflict looked set to intensify, with Emirati officials reportedly mulling freezing billions of dollars worth of Iranian assets.

The fallout undermined Washington’s case that neutering Iran would promote stability, one analyst wrote in Foreign Affairs: “The outcome of this war will likely fall far short of these rosy expectations.”