More than 72 hours after the US and Israel launched what they described as a preemptive strike against Iran, the world is waking up to a grim reality: the Middle East has entered a regional war that is rapidly spinning out of control. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have declared regime change as the campaign’s central objective — and achieving it has become the sole measure of victory. Yet, for all the clarity of that stated goal, the justifications for launching what is fast becoming a globally disruptive regional war remain strikingly thin.

EDITORIAL. With a massive attack that wasn't in response to any immediate threat, the US president and the Israeli prime minister aim to bring about the collapse of the Iranian…

War highlights strained alliances, unfettered militaries and a Washington with renewed appetite for regime change

The war has already become regional: Iran is attacking American-aligned Arab states in the hope that they will pressure Trump to sign a ceasefire

The war in the Middle East continues to escalate, with casualties and destruction reported across at least nine countries in under 10 hours. Nosheen Iqbal speaks to the Guardian’s…

More than 72 hours after the US and Israel launched what they described as a preemptive strike against Iran, the world is waking up to a grim reality: the Middle East has entered…