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

Across the region, U.S. and Russian forces in Syria and the eastern Mediterranean scrambled to adapt. American bases in the Gulf and in Jordan went on heightened alert, amid fears that the conflict might draw in the United States or provoke attacks on their interests. Meanwhile, Russia, maintaining its strategic presence in Syria, began shuttle diplomacy between regional capitals, seeking to avoid a wider conflict that could threaten its foothold in the Middle East. The United Nations Security Council convened emergency sessions, but the world powers were divided. Some called for immediate ceasefires and negotiations, while others took sides or insisted on condemnation of the other party’s initial attacks.