Archives Conflict escalation - Page 2 of 7 - New Eastern Outlook

Bombing alone has never won a war — and the current air campaign against Iran is no exception. The United States has trapped itself in a cycle of proxy warfare, where every escalation narrows the space for manoeuvre, and the “war nobody wants” becomes an inevitable reality.

The conflict in Yemen, now in its second decade, has entered a new and extremely perilous phase. Recent developments indicate that Sanaa has transitioned from defense to active deterrence, leveraging asymmetric capabilities to strike at the vital arteries of its powerful neighbor.

On July 25, 2026, Ukrainian forces launched long-range drone strikes against targets in the Caspian Sea, attacking an Iranian merchant vessel. The attack resulted in an explosion on the vessel, killing one sailor and injuring another.