#OpinionLine# The #MiddleEast# is not a vacuum waiting to be filled. It has become a crowded marketplace of interests. The #US# is indispensable but no longer dominant. #China# offers development and diplomatic engagement.

#OpinionLine# The renewed US-Iran confrontation, together with #Israel#'s continuing regional military campaign, spreads corrosive damage across the region. As economic risks accumulate alongside humanitarian pressures, the space for negotiated political settlements is narrowing. #MiddleEast# #Iran#

MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT ESCALATES Fighting between Iran and the US intensified overnight as Iran launched ballistic missiles at US forces, while the US and Saudi Arabia responded with strikes on Iran-backed militias in Iraq, ending a brief diplomatic pause. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted drones targeting its oil facilities for a second consecutive day. The US said all Iranian missiles aimed at its forces were intercepted. Oil prices jumped nearly 4%, with Brent crude rising to around $87 a barrel, as traders reacted to renewed supply concerns. The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, with shipping heavily disrupted, while tensions are also rising in the Red Sea after attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The widening conflict now spans Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, raising fears of a broader regional war. Markets are increasingly focused on energy security, inflation risks and the potential economic fallout, while hopes for renewed US-Iran peace talks continue to fade.