Sri Lanka, March 3 -- Iran expanded its targets Tuesday, striking the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia as Washington began to pull many staff out of the Middle East. The U.S. and Israel battered Iran with airstrikes in what President Donald Trump suggested was just the start of a war that has severely disrupted the world's supply of oil and gas, international shipping, and air travel.

The conflict escalated further on its fourth day, with Israel sending new ground troops into Lebanon and explosions ringing out in Iran's capital. Hundreds of people have been killed, the vast majority in Iran.

The spiraling nature of the war raised questions about when and how it would end. Trump said it could last four to five weeks - but that the U.S. was p...