Mushroom-shaped clouds of flame shoot into the night sky above Tehran. Later, the soot and fuel residue comes back with the blackish rain. In Dubai, once a safe haven on the Persian Gulf, Iranian drones are striking near luxury hotels. In Bahrain, a desalination plant vital to the kingdom’s drinking water supply has been hit.
In northern Iraq, a pro-Iranian militia attacks a hotel in Erbil where U.S. soldiers are staying. In Lebanon, the latest outbreak of violence has driven hundreds of thousands of people from their homes, including around 200,000 children.
DER SPIEGEL relies on support from its readers. To enjoy the rest of this story, please consider signing up for a subscription to The German View, our English-language channel on Substack. The article can be found here and our Substack channel can be found here . Alternatively, you can sign up for a SPIEGEL+ subscription below.
As this second week of the war against Iran draws to a close, it is becoming increasingly clear what Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu have set in motion together: Far from a limited strike, this is a war that continues spreading into ever new arenas.
It has engulfed Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, the wealthy Gulf states and even Cyprus. It has struck cities, ports and hotels. It has hit shipping routes, food markets and schools.
