Israel and Iran Enter Second Week of Conflict Amid Regional and Global Concerns

The broader Arab world watched warily, with public opinion deeply divided. In Gulf states like the UAE and Bahrain, where recent normalization agreements with Israel had opened new economic and security opportunities, there was growing anxiety that conflict might spill over. In places like Iraq and Yemen, Iranian-affiliated militias escalated attacks on Western and Israeli-linked targets, leading to further loss of life and destruction. The specter of sectarian strife, which has long haunted the region, reared its head again as both Iran and Israel tried to rally their respective constituencies.