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The week in Global Affairs
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The confrontation expanded from US-Iran strikes near Hormuz to attacks involving Kuwait and Bahrain, then sharpened into direct exchanges between Iran and Israel. The widening battlefield raised the risk of a broader Middle Eastern war without a comprehensive truce.
Israel's offensive widened before a US-backed framework emerged, but Hezbollah rejected its conditions and fighting continued. Israeli strikes, including one that killed Lebanese soldiers, showed that the proposed truce lacked a workable enforcement mechanism.
Washington and Tehran kept a diplomatic channel open through escalating strikes, but Iran said talks had stalled and no interim deal emerged. Public threats and expectations of a substantially different nuclear agreement underscored how far diplomacy had fallen behind the conflict.
Israeli strikes repeatedly hit civilians in Gaza, including a cafe, homes, and a wedding gathering, while Egypt hosted renewed ceasefire discussions. The talks did not secure even a temporary halt to the continuing civilian harm.
Russia launched another mass strike on Ukrainian cities while Ukraine hit Russian naval and energy infrastructure and expanded attacks beyond the immediate front. Putin then rejected Zelensky's proposed direct meeting, leaving military pressure in place of a near-term top-level negotiation.
As strikes spread across Gulf states and kept Hormuz exposed, the OECD warned that a prolonged energy disruption could push global growth toward levels seen during major shocks. Higher energy prices and tighter financial conditions would compound recession and inflation risks.
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