Two weeks in: Iran conflict widens as Hormuz tensions spike

Two weeks into the US‑Israel war with Iran, the conflict is widening: Tehran vows to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, sending Brent above $100 a barrel as countries buy Russian oil products. Attacks and missiles target Israel, Lebanon (Beirut) and Iran, with casualties including a French soldier in Iraq and two academics in Lebanon, and the region facing mounting civilian deaths, displacement in Lebanon, and escalating cross‑border strikes. A US Air Force refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq in a non‑hostile incident, while Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei reiterated closure as leverage amid subdued market sentiment and warnings of further action. Washington says it underestimated Iran’s resolve to close Hormuz, and a Senate oversight hearing is planned as Asia markets slide on the instability.