BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — The war in the Middle East raged on multiple fronts Monday, as the U.S. and Israel pummeled military targets in Iran’s capital, Israel stepped up bombardments of Iran-backed militants in Lebanon and Iran retaliated with a drone strike that temporarily closed Dubai’s airport, a crucial hub for travelers.
Fears of a global energy crisis continued, even as a small number of ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil normally travels.
Iranian strikes on commercial ships in and around the strait — and even just the threat of attacks — have slowed shipping to a trickle, dramatically increasing oil prices and pressuring Washington to do something to ease the pain for consumers and the global economy.
Brent crude, the international standard, remained over $100 a barrel. U.S. President Donald Trump said he had demanded that roughly a half-dozen countries send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. But his appeals brought no immediate commitments.
Speaking of the strait, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said: “From our perspective it is open” — just not for the United States, Israel and its allies. On social media, Araghchi also rejected as “delusional” claims that Iran was looking for a negotiated end to the war, saying it was seeking neither “truce nor talks.”
Since the United States and Israel attacked Iran more than two weeks ago, Tehran has regularly fired drones and missiles at Israel, American bases in the region and Gulf Arab countries’ energy infrastructure.
Strikes continued early Tuesday, with the Israeli milit …