Iran war entered its seventh day, the conflict escalated dramatically on Thursday with missiles hitting a hospital and a nuclear site, leaders issuing threats, and the spectre of US military involvement looming.

Israel said it launched air strikes against an inactive nuclear reactor near Arak, in a raid involving more than 40 jets. Iran fired “dozens” of missiles at Israel with “several” hits, including to the Soroka hospital in southern Israel,

As yet another one of his key allies in the region faces an existential crisis, Vladimir Putin is presented with a major opportunity — and many challenges.

Aside from a potentially game-changing American intervention that shapes the fate of Iran’s nuclear program, two factors will help decide the length of the Israel-Iran war: Israel’s reserve of missile interceptors and Iran’s stock of long-range missiles.

With ballistic missiles slamming into buildings in Tel Aviv, Israelis say they are losing their long-held sense of security.