APTOPIX Iran US Israel

The war in the Middle East spiraled further as Israel and the U.S. pounded Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump said the campaign would likely take several weeks, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the “hardest hits are yet to come.” Tehran and its allies hit back Monday against Israel, neighboring Gulf states and targets critical to the world’s energy production. The intensity of the attacks, the killing of Iran's supreme leader, and the lack of any apparent exit plan indicated the conflict would not end anytime soon. Israel launched retaliatory attacks in Lebanon after Hezbollah fired missiles at it, and an Israeli military official did not rule out another ground invasion.