The war on Iran, now well into its third week, is ripping through the region in ways that even US President Donald Trump has admitted come as a surprise: the unrelenting Iranian strikes on Gulf infrastructure, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and, so far, the durability of the Iranian regime itself. But the shock waves of the US-Israeli bombardment have resonated far beyond the battlefield, threatening alliances, jolting world markets and reshaping geopolitical realities. Perhaps the most troubling aspect of this war of choice is the sheer weight of its uncertainties.

The war on Iran, now well into its third week, is ripping through the region in ways that even US President Donald Trump has admitted come as a surprise: the unrelenting Iranian…

As missiles fall from the sky and energy infrastructure is targeted, the limitations of relying on the US for protection are becoming all too obvious, says Sanam Vakil of Chatham…