Middle East war escalates: Multiple dead in US-Saudi strikes in Iraq; Iran targets Hormuz ships - top developments

US-Saudi hit Iran-linked entities in Iraq; Tehran hits US bases, ships in Hormuz The war in the Middle East escalated once again after couple of days of fragile peace as the United States and Saudi Arabia launched joint strikes on Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Iran claimed to have intercepted oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and fired missiles at US military installations.Washington said the strikes targeted logistics and weapons sites used by Iran-backed militias to launch more than 30 drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities over the past 72 hours. The operation came hours after US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had intercepted all Iranian ballistic missiles fired at American forces in the Middle East.The latest exchanges have renewed fears of a wider regional conflict centred on the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway that normally carries about 20 per cent of the world's traded oil.US, Saudi Arabia strike Iran-backed groups in IraqThe US and Saudi Arabia said they struck multiple sites across eastern Iraq used by Iran-backed militias to direct drone attacks on Saudi Arabia's energy infrastructure.CENTCOM warned that the Revolutionary Guard an...