By JON GAMBRELL and MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press
Kuwait accused Iran of launching a failed attack earlier this month on an island where China is helping build a port in the Middle East nation. The accusation brought Tuesday came just before U.S. President Donald Trump was to depart for Beijing where he'll meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a high-stakes visit over the war and other issues. Kuwait said a team of six armed members of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard tried to infiltrate Bubiyan Island to carry out "hostile acts." Kuwait said that it detained four of the men while two escaped. Iran didn't immediately acknowledge the allegation by Kuwait. With ceasefire negotiations between Iran and the U.S. at a standstill, ongoing attacks threaten to reignite open warfare.
By JON GAMBRELL, JAMEY KEATEN and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press
Updated
Iran's attacks on regional oil infrastructure and pledges to choke off a vital waterway left markets on edge as the United States promised blistering new strikes. The war entered its 11th day on Tuesday with no end in sight as its effects were felt across the region and beyond. Both sides sharpened their rhetoric as they dug in. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth again promised the most intense strikes yet. Iran's leaders ruled out talks and threatened U.S. President Donald Trump. Iran launched new attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab countries, while Israel bombed Iran and Lebanon, where it is battling Hezbollah militants.
By MATT SEDENSKY and STEFANIE DAZIO Associated Press
Travelers are scrambling for ways out of the Middle East as the Iran war keeps much of the region's airspace closed and flights grounded. The conflict that started Saturday when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran stranded airline passengers in major Mideast cities as well as in countries far from the threat of airstrikes. With commercial flights tightly restricted across much of the Gulf for a fourth day, many were unsure what to do and appealed to their governments for information and exit strategies. The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday that it was "actively securing" military and charter aircraft to fly Americans out of the region.
