Has Iran just opened a new front? On top of support for Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, now come tit-for-tat strikes with Pakistan to the east. Both sides say they targeted separatist Balosh insurgents, but the sudden escalation between usually friendly neighbors adds a whole new layer of uncertainty to region that's already close to boiling point.

US crude climbed 4.2% to $75 a barrel in recent trading. Brent crude, the world benchmark, jumped 4% and crossed over the $80-a-barrel level. This comes after US-led strikes on multiple Houthi targets in Yemen in response to repeated attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

Even before the unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel, fears of another major conflict between Israelis and Palestinians had been brewing for years. The deadly October 7 assault on southern Israel made those fears a reality. Many are now concerned an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza could turn the war into a wider, regional conflict. Andrew Thomas, an associate lecturer in Middle East Studies at Deakin University in Melbourne, joined us on Perspective to give us his analysis.