Strikes on Iran spark regional retaliation and global disruption
The United States and Israel launched a wave of strikes on targets in Iranian cities on Saturday (Feb 28), affecting more than 20 of Iran’s 31 provinces.
Iran retaliated with missile attacks on Israel and on several Gulf Arab allies of the United States that host American military bases.
Announcing the start of “massive” combat operations, US President Donald Trump said Washington’s objective was “eliminating imminent threats” from Iran.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and advisers, was killed in the US and Israeli strikes.
Global air travel remained heavily disrupted as continued air strikes kept major Middle Eastern airports, including Dubai - the world's busiest international hub - closed in one of the biggest aviation interruptions in recent years.
Oil prices surged more than 8 per cent to their highest in months on Monday (Mar 2) as Iran and Israel escalated attacks, damaging tankers and disrupting shipments from the key producing region.
