Iran under attack: War widens across Middle East as oil and gas prices surge | BBC News

Donald Trump has said he launched a war against Iran because it was the "last, best chance" to stop the country’s regime.

Speaking at the White House for the first time since attacking Iran, the President said the US is continuing to carry out “large scale combat operations”. More than 1,250 targets have already been struck.

The Iranian Red Crescent said at least 500 people had been killed in Iran. Six US service personnel are confirmed to have been killed.

Iran has continued retaliatory missile attacks against US allies across the Middle East. Meanwhile Israel has launched multiple strikes on what it said were Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, warning that military operations won’t end until the threat is fully removed.

Oil and gas prices have surged following the Israeli and US strikes on Iran, and retaliation by the regime which has forced shutdowns of oil and gas facilities ‌across the region and disrupted shipping in the key maritime passage, the Strait of Hormuz.

There are warnings that a prolonged conflict in the Middle East could lead to a sustained rise in oil prices, fuelling inflation and undermining global economic growth.

Clive Myrie and Reeta Chakrabarti present BBC News at Ten reporting by Jeremy Bowen, Sarah Smith, Jessica Parker, Chris Mason, Wyre Davies, Orla Guerin, Barbara Plett Usher, Luke Deal and Faisal Islam.

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