The war between Iran, Israel and the United States is entering a volatile new phase, with leaders on all sides striking defiant tones as the conflict nears its two-week mark and the toll in lives, economic damage and regional instability continues to rise.
More than 2,000 people have been killed since fighting erupted on Feb. 28, most of them in Iran, while hundreds more have died in Lebanon amid Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah positions.
The widening confrontation has rattled financial markets, pushed oil prices sharply higher and raised fears of prolonged disruption to global energy supplies.
Iran’s new leader breaks his silence
Iran’s newly installed supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, issued his first public statement Thursday, pledging retaliation and warning Gulf Arab states against supporting the United States.
