“Unconditional surrender” — Trump doubles down as strikes batter Tehran and Beirut

With input from Al Jazeera, CNN, NPR, the Guardian, AP, BBC, and Democracy Now.

The short version: the president told the world there’ll be “no deal” without an unconditional surrender, and the next hours brought more explosions, missiles and airstrikes across the region — including heavy blows to the two capitals — as the tit-for-tat fighting rolled into another day.

What’s happening on the ground: jets and missiles hit urban targets, air-raid sirens screamed, and defenders launched waves of drones and rockets back. Authorities reported strikes on leadership compounds and infrastructure, and the fighting has spread to neighboring skies and seas — a messy, fast-moving spiral rather than any neat front line.

The fallout is already obvious. Oil and shipping desks are freaked out as shipping through the Gulf chokepoints has all but frozen and energy hubs take incoming hits — that’s sending prices up and adding real strain to global supply chains. Military officials say some strike capabilities have been degraded, but the flare-ups keep coming and the risk of broader escalation is very real.

Human cost: hospitals and rescue teams on both sides are overwhelmed. Hundreds have been reported killed or wounded in the latest rounds, and thousands more are being pushed from their homes as evacuation orders and strikes hit populous suburbs. Aid groups and diplomats are warning of a fast-growing humanitarian crisis.

What to watch next: will the “no deal” line harden a longer campaign, or open a short window for tougher diplomacy? For now, the answer looks ugly and uncertain — more strikes, more cross-border attacks, and a global market that’s nervy as hell. Expect aftershocks politically and economically for days to come.