TEHRAN, March 17, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Israel launched a wave of strikes on Tehran and Beirut on Tuesday while attacks in Baghdad drew neighbouring Iraq deeper into the Middle East war that has sparked economic turmoil across the globe. The war, now in its third week, has killed hundreds and quickly spread to include Iranian strikes on Gulf nations as well Israeli bombardment of Lebanon. Lebanese state media reported Tuesday that Israeli strikes at dawn hit a residential building in Beirut's southern suburbs, a stronghold of the pro-Iranian armed group Hezbollah. The regional war has also steadily pulled Iraq further into the fighting, after the country has long been a proxy battleground between the United States and Iran. Australia's central bank hiked its key interest rate Tuesday, pointing to "sharply higher fuel prices" driven by the US-Israel war on Iran.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha March 17, 2026 06:41 UTC