Israel bombed Beirut and Iran hit back, dragging the region deeper into war while Trump looks powerless to stop it — bad for civilians, oil markets, and US standing.

• Israel struck Beirut's southern suburbs, killing about 20 Lebanese, even after Trump repeatedly told Netanyahu not to.
• Iran fired ballistic missiles at an Israeli air base — the first time it has hit back over an attack on Lebanon.
• Trump wants a peace deal and held US forces out of the fighting, but Israel keeps acting on its own to wreck those talks.
• A US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is choking global shipping, pushing up gas prices and squeezing American farmers as fertilizer supplies tighten.
• Two intelligence reports say Israel is now spying on top US officials more aggressively than some US enemies do.

Outlook: Both sides have paused for now, but Iran is threatening to block more shipping lanes and the fighting could reignite if peace talks collapse.