Middle East crisis: Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, Iran strikes

The Middle East is experiencing a multifaceted crisis involving a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, and escalating US-Iran hostilities. The most recent flashpoint is an Iranian drone strike on Kuwait International Airport, which killed one person and damaged a terminal, prompting US retaliatory strikes on an Iranian facility on Qeshm Island. The attack has drawn condemnation from Kuwait, which labeled it 'heinous Iranian aggression,' while Iran claims a US Patriot missile caused the damage. Meanwhile, the US House of Representatives passed a war powers resolution aiming to restrict President Trump's authority to engage in military action against Iran without congressional approval, though the measure faces long odds in the Senate and a likely veto. President Trump has sought to separate negotiations on the Israel-Lebanon conflict from broader Iran talks, but Iran insists the two tracks are inseparable. Diplomatic channels remain open but have made no progress, according to Iran's foreign minister, who defended the Gulf attacks as self-defence. The uncertainty has also rattled financial markets, with South Korean stocks opening sharply lower on renewed tensions.