Escalating US-Israel–Iran conflict reshaping regional blocs and alliances

US and Israeli strikes on Iran, including the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei, have triggered Iranian missile and drone retaliation across the Gulf and against US and Israeli targets, raising the risk of a full regional war. Gulf states are weighing entry into a US-led coalition, while Iran leans on its ‘Axis of Resistance’ proxies such as Hezbollah to expand pressure on Israel. China and Russia criticize US-Israeli actions but stop short of concrete military support for Tehran, exposing rifts in Iran’s presumed partnerships as Beijing calls for de-escalation. The crisis is shaking global markets, testing EU diplomacy, and threatening to redraw security alignments across West Asia and beyond.