Tensions reach a peak in the Middle East: Critical developments are unfolding as joint US-Israeli operations against Iran continue. Here are the latest news points:

Israel eliminates two top Iranian intelligence officials — The Israeli military announced it killed Sayed Yahya Hamidi (deputy head of Israeli affairs) and Jalal Pour Hossein (head of the espionage department) of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence in precision strikes in Tehran. This dealt a heavy blow to the regime's intelligence structure.
US soldiers killed in Iran operation — US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed a total of 6 American soldiers were killed in Iranian retaliatory strikes as part of "Operation Epic Fury." The casualties occurred in Iran's initial counterattacks, reportedly targeting bases in Kuwait.
Explosions east of Tehran — Violent explosions were reported in eastern and central Tehran following a new wave of Israeli airstrikes. Israel stated it aims to largely destroy the regime's ballistic missile capabilities within 24 hours. US officials stated that Iran has suffered "very significant damage" and that "the next phase will be much harsher." Israel strikes Iranian soldiers while they are activating missile defense systems — The Israeli military announced that it eliminated Iranian soldiers while they were trying to activate missile defense systems. Evacuation warnings were issued for some towns in Lebanon, signaling an impending attack. Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz — The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced that it has officially closed the Strait of Hormuz, which carries 20% of the world's oil supply. They threatened to set fire to any ship attempting to pass through the strait. This decision is creating expectations of a significant rise in global oil prices. Major volatility in crypto and financial markets — With the tension in Iran, crypto outflows from Nobitex (Iran's largest crypto exchange) increased by 700%, reaching almost $3 million. Gold fell 1.78%, losing $650 billion in value, while silver dropped 6.82%, losing $340 billion. In contrast, the Nasdaq rose 1.73%, gaining $610 billion, the S&P 500 gained 1.08%, adding $80 billion, and the Russell 2000 increased by 1.72%, adding $53 billion. Bitcoin also surged 6.7%, surpassing the $70,000 level and adding approximately $80 billion. In the last two hours, $1 trillion has been wiped from gold/silver, while nearly $800 billion has flowed into cryptocurrency and US stock markets. These developments indicate that the US-Israel-Iran conflict is rapidly escalating and directly impacting the global economy and energy markets.