What began as a US-Israeli assault on Iran is rapidly evolving into a conflict with the potential to spread far beyond the Middle East.
Iranian missiles and drones have already struck or reached Turkey and Azerbaijan, while European powers are rushing additional warships, fighter jets and air defences to the eastern Mediterranean and Gulf to contain the fallout.
Analysts warn the longer the war continues, the greater the risk that long-simmering regional fault lines – from Kurdish militancy to Azeri and Baloch separatism – could open entirely new fronts.
US President Donald Trump fuelled those fears on Thursday when he voiced support for a possible invasion of Iran by Kurdish opposition groups based in Iraq.
At the same time, neighbouring Azerbaijan vowed retaliation after being struck by Iranian drones, while Turkey warned it would not tolerate another missile after one entered its airspace the day before.
Nato and the European Union are also being pulled closer to the conflict.
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