Live updates: US and Iranian forces resume attacks in Middle East, piercing relative calm

Key Points:

• Iran has not engaged in negotiations with the US for the past two weeks and insists on maintaining control over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil transit route, rejecting proposals for shared shipping management with Oman.
• US and Saudi forces conducted targeted airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq, killing at least 20 people, which led to the postponement of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi's planned visit to Saudi Arabia and heightened regional tensions.
• The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an Iraqi security umbrella group with strong Iranian ties, condemned the strikes as violations of Iraq's sovereignty and warned of dangerous escalation.
• Oil prices surged nearly 4% amid the strikes and ongoing disruptions in the Persian Gulf, with concerns over prolonged supply interruptions due to attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure and halted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
• Diplomatic efforts continue amid the conflict, including recent White House meetings focusing on Iran, Ukraine-Iran tensions over a Caspian Sea incident, and Iran's expanding military production despite US claims of degrading its defense capabilities.