On Feb 28, the US and Israel shocked the world by launching strikes across Iran and assassinating the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Civilian casualties quickly mounted, including 150 civilians—mostly children—killed when American missiles struck an elementary school. Iran duly retaliated by targeting Israel and US bases across the region and throttling maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
The unilateral aggression against Iran lacked international legitimacy and destabilised the entire Middle East. Arab countries suffered retaliatory attacks from Iran because they host American bases, and countries around the world faced high economic costs from spiking energy prices. The damage was also reputational for Gulf countries, in terms of safety and security.
