Initiative may be slipping away from US and Israel as Middle East crisis deepens

There is little sign of imminent regime change in Iran as its blockade of strait of Hormuz shocks global economy

Few doubt that in the first days of the new war in the Middle East, the initiative belonged to the US and its ally Israel. Now it seems less sure, however.

Mohsen Rezaee, a senior officer in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, on Sunday said “the end of the war is in our hands” and called for the withdrawal of Washington’s forces from the Gulf and compensation for all damage caused by the assault.

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The Iran war may be about to escalate – The Economist

  1. The Iran war may be about to escalate  The Economist
  2. Trump is eager to declare victory, but a battered Iran still has cards to play  The Washington Post
  3. Here’s the news from Iran – Donald Trump is making America lose wars again | Simon Tisdall  The Guardian
  4. 16 Reader Questions on the War in Iran and Our Reporting, Answered - The New York Times  The New York Times
  5. Who wants what from the Iran war?  BBC
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Legal and Operational Issues in the Strait of Hormuz: Transit Passage Under Fire – Just Security

  1. Legal and Operational Issues in the Strait of Hormuz: Transit Passage Under Fire  Just Security
  2. Iran Foreign Minister Says Countries Are Asking for Safe Passage Through Strait of Hormuz  WSJ
  3. Why Little Was Done to Head Off Oil’s Strait of Hormuz Problem  The New York Times
  4. How one of Iran's most destructive weapons could threaten the U.S.  Axios
  5. Why it's so hard to get oil through the Strait of Hormuz right now  NBC News
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Pakistan targets militant hideouts in Afghanistan as conflict continues

Afghan government reports zero casualties and accuses neighbouring country of wanting to ‘fuel the fire of war’

Pakistan has targeted militant hideouts in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province overnight, as the fighting that erupted between the two neighbours late last month showed no signs of abating.

The cross-border attacks, which have included Pakistani airstrikes in Kabul, are the deadliest yet between the countries. Islamabad has referred to the conflict as an “open war”, adding to concerns about regional stability as the US-Israeli conflict with Iran engulfs the Middle East and beyond.

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Cory Booker calls both parties ‘feckless’ for ceding war powers to Trump

Democrat says Congress ‘doing nothing’ may embolden president to attack countries such as Cuba and North Korea

Democratic US senator Cory Booker has criticized both his own political party as well as its Republican counterpart for being “feckless” in ceding congressional war powers to Donald Trump, saying that their decision could embolden the president to unilaterally attack Cuba, North Korea and other countries.

“I’m going to be one of those Democrats [who] say I think both parties have been feckless in allowing the growth of the power of the presidency,” Booker said on Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union.

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Trump is eager to declare victory, but a battered Iran still has cards to play – The Washington Post

  1. Trump is eager to declare victory, but a battered Iran still has cards to play  The Washington Post
  2. The Iran war may be about to escalate  The Economist
  3. Sunday shows preview: Trump faces questions about length of Iran conflict as war enters third week  The Hill
  4. Why Escalation Favors Iran  Foreign Affairs
  5. Middle East analysts on what the Iran war has accomplished and how it might end  PBS
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Two weeks into war with Iran, Trump has been knocked back on his political heels – AP News

  1. Two weeks into war with Iran, Trump has been knocked back on his political heels  AP News
  2. ‘This Spells Real Trouble for Republicans’  The New York Times
  3. US Energy Chief Signals Iran War May Last Several More Weeks  Bloomberg.com
  4. Donald Trump’s Iran war could hand Congress to the Democrats  The Economist
  5. The Memo: Political pressures grow on Trump over Iran  The Hill
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To criticize an American-led war, an American pope turns to allies – The Washington Post

  1. To criticize an American-led war, an American pope turns to allies  The Washington Post
  2. Pope Leo decries 'atrocious violence' in Iran war, urges ceasefire  Reuters
  3. Pope questions Christians’ role in wars, implies need for confession  EWTN News
  4. Opinion | Homilies Won’t Liberate Iran  WSJ
  5. Pope Leo demands Middle East ceasefire after deadly Iran school attack  The Independent
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