US-Israeli strike on Iran signals new phase of global escalation

SCMP · 2026-02-28
US-Israeli strike on Iran signals new phase of global escalation

The coordinated US and Israeli strikes inside Iran mark more than another episode in a long-running confrontation. They represent a structural escalation – one whose consequences extend well beyond the Middle East. This is not the start of a new war. It is the next stage in a conflict that has been