US-Iran fighting escalates as explosions heard near US base in Iraq, sirens in Bahrain

Tehran is targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz and US allies and assets in the region, while the US is striking Iran

A series of explosions sounded near a military base hosting US forces in northern Iraq and sirens rang out in Bahrain on Friday, hours after the American military said it finished its 13th night of strikes against Iran.

The conflict has flared again over the past week, as the US has pounded Iran while Tehran has attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted US assets and allies in the region.

The strait, a crucial passage for the world’s energy supplies, is at the centre of the latest fighting since Iranian attacks could effectively shut the waterway, sending fuel prices soaring worldwide and causing widespread economic turmoil.

The Iranian-allied Houthi rebels added further pressure this week by targeting two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, making good on a threat to cut off an alternative route for the region’s oil.

Despite the unpopularity of the war in the US and the widespread damage it has caused in Iran and to the global economy, the latest round of fighting has no clear off-ramp.