The US launched attacks against Iran for a fifth day after Tehran hit Kuwait with the heaviest wave of strikes in weeks, leaving an interim peace deal in tatters. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency raised its threat level for airlines in the Middle East, cautioning carriers to avoid the region amid a heightened threat of missile and drone strikes. Oil rose for a third day, with Brent jumping near $85 a barrel and taking its gain this week to 13%.
Congested Routes
London flights to Asia and Australia now bypass multiple airspaces, causing congestion and longer routes
Washington and Tehran are vying over control of the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran attacking vessels it says are crossing the chokepoint without its permission. President Donald Trump has vowed to intensify the US military response after ending a waiver on Iranian oil sanctions and reimposing a naval blockade. So far, the US is mostly keeping to military targets in the south of the Islamic Republic such as radar, missile and drone sites. The bombing campaign remains far less intense than during the height of the war in March and early April, when Tehran and other major cities were under constant fire.