The US-Iran war just widened after a US submarine sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka, killing at least 80 sailors, in the first such American strike since World War II. US Central Command said more than 20 Iranian vessels have been hit as fighting continues to paralyse shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
NATO was also drawn closer to the conflict when air defences shot down an Iranian ballistic missile heading toward Turkey: the first time the alliance member has been directly threatened. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the incident would not trigger NATO's collective-defence clause, even as Washington and Israel pressed on with strikes deep inside Iran.
The escalation comes days after the killing of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei, with Tehran expected to name a successor soon. President Donald Trump has pledged naval escorts for energy shipments as oil prices surge and hundreds of vessels remain stranded, rattling global markets...