Middle East war escalates as Lebanese clashes and Iranian missiles widen regional conflict

The Middle East conflict widens: four Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon during clashes with Iran-backed Hezbollah, Iran fired missiles toward Israel with explosions reported in Tehran and near Jerusalem, and related events include US-Israeli air strikes on Iraqi bases, a fire on a Kuwaiti oil tanker in Dubai, and UN peacekeepers killed in Lebanon, signaling a rapidly intensifying regional war even as leaders discuss war aims and energy stability.