- Tehran lawmaker Kamran Ghazanfari has warned that the world is "practically on the brink of World War III" amid rising tensions with the United States and the widening Russia-Ukraine conflict.
- The warning comes after the US military destroyed five Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and near Kharg Island following repeated missile strikes on an American Navy warship.
- Iran-backed Houthi rebels have escalated regional hostilities by launching strikes on several Saudi Arabian cities, injuring at least 73 people and taking energy facilities offline.
- The Saudi-led coalition has promised a firm response to the Houthi attacks, signalling a further spread of the conflict as diplomatic channels remain stalled.
- Escalating Middle East tensions have pushed Brent crude oil prices above $100 a barrel, heightening fears of energy-driven global inflation ahead of major central bank decisions.
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