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  Civilian Casualties: The Human Cost of the Iran War, a Politica UK InfoPod. As the war involving Iran moves deeper into its first week, attention is increasingly turning to the civilian toll across the region. Inside Iran, casualty figures have risen sharply. Iranian officials say more than 1,300 civilians have been killed in airstrikes carried out during the conflict, with thousands more injured. (Reuters) Human-rights organisations and international observers say many of the strikes have targeted military infrastructure, but some attacks have also hit urban areas, hospitals, and residential neighbourhoods, raising concerns about the protection of civilians in densely populated cities. (TIME) But Iran is not the only place where civilians are suffering. In Lebanon, Israeli strikes against Hezbollah positions have also caused significant casualties. Lebanese authorities report more than 200 people killed and hundreds injured during air attacks in Beirut, southern Lebanon, and eas...

  Good morning. You’re listening to the War Update InfoPod — a clear look at what has changed overnight, and what it might mean. Today’s question is an unusual one: could Ukraine benefit from the Iran war? At first glance, the two conflicts appear completely separate. One is centred in Eastern Europe, the other in the Middle East. But in the modern global economy and security system, wars rarely stay isolated. They ripple outward. The first effect comes from energy markets . If the conflict threatens shipping through the Strait of Hormuz , oil prices tend to rise quickly. That can have a paradoxical impact on the war in Ukraine. Higher oil prices bring more revenue to Russia , because energy exports remain a major source of funding for the Russian state. In other words, a Middle Eastern war that pushes up oil prices could actually increase Russia’s ability to finance its military campaign. But there is another side to the story. After more than a decade fighting Russia — an...