Perils of War in West Asia

A wider conflict looms in the region. It portends instability for the world and gloom for the economy

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The ongoing Iran-Israel conflict threatens to turn into a regional war with the US bombing three nuclear sites in Iran Sunday morning. President Donald Trump has announced that the bombings obliterated Iran's nuclear facilities and, ominously, said more attacks could follow if "peace does not come quickly." Tehran has indicated that it will retaliate. Iran's neighborhood is home to numerous US bases that house over 40,000 American troops, warships, and other equipment. What follows next, especially the nature, scale, and targets of Iran's response, will shape the contours of the conflict and the power relations in West Asia.