Middle East crisis live: US military launches second day of airstrikes at ‘multiple targets’ in Iran

The strikes began at 5.15pm EST on Wednesday – after midnight on Thursday local time – ‘at the Commander in Chief’s direction’, Centcom saysIf the US genuinely wants a deal it will have to engage with Iranian demands on sanctions relief, says Danny Citrinowicz, the former head of the Iran branch of Israeli military intelligence.Today’s exchange of strikes shows how easily both Iran and the US can slide towards another round of escalation, says Citrinowicz, who is now a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council.If Washington is unwilling to accept that reality, it should recognize the likely alternative: continued confrontations