Kathmandu. The ongoing war in the Middle East is intensifying on the one hand, and on the other hand, there are signs of a possible solution. Regional instability is deepening as clashes between Iran, Israel and the United States have spread to the Gulf, Lebanon and Iraq.

A huge explosion was heard in Iran’s capital Tehran on Wednesday, state broadcaster IRIB reported. The attacks were reported to have taken place in the north, east and central parts of the capital, indicating that the conflict has spread directly to Iranian territory.

Meanwhile, attacks have also intensified in the Gulf region. Kuwait’s international airport has been hit by an Iranian drone attack, causing a massive fire in a fuel tank, the Civil Aviation Authority said. Bahrain said Iran’s aggression had caused businesses on fire, while Saudi Arabia said it had shot down a number of drones. The British Maritime Safety Agency has confirmed that a tanker has crashed into Qatari waters.

The impact of the conflict is not limited to the military sector. An American journalist was kidnapped in Baghdad, Iraq, on Tuesday. The United States said the kidnapping was carried out by Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups. The foreign ministry said it was concerned about the journalists’ safety and that efforts were underway to secure their release. Media groups have identified the abducted journalist as freelance reporter Shelley Kittleson.

US President Donald Trump announced that he will give important information about Iran in an address to the nation on Wednesday night. He indicated the U.S. military operation would end “very soon” and gave him two to three weeks’ timeline for the talks to move forward. Asked about the fuel price hike, he said he believed the strategy to pull out of Iran would bring down prices.

Asian stock markets have reacted positively to Trump’s signal. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 4 percent, while bourses in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Seoul also rose.

Meanwhile, violence has intensified in Lebanon. Seven people were killed and dozens wounded in an Israeli attack on the south side of the capital Beirut, the country’s health ministry said. The Israeli military said the attack targeted senior Hezbollah commanders. In other attacks in southern Lebanon, eight more people were killed, including a paramedic. Many people have been injured in the attacks in different districts.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military operation against Tehran would continue. He said “the campaign is far from over” and that “suppression of the terrorist regime” will continue.

Iran’s President Massoud Pezeskian has indicated that his country is ready to end the war. He added that there was “the necessary willpower” to end the conflict and sought to ensure that war does not occur again.

The backlash, which came after a day of intense attacks on Iran, has led to a recovery in US markets and reduced oil prices. Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned that if more Iranian leaders are killed, it could take revenge on American tech companies like Google.

The response has also been growing at the international level. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney slammed Israel’s action in Lebanon as an “illegal invasion”. He said the Israeli action violated Lebanon’s sovereignty. The European Union (EU) has urged its member states to reduce their fuel consumption in the face of soaring energy price pressures.

Meanwhile, Pope Leo IV called for an end to the violence and hoped US President Donald Trump would take action to stop the war. “We need to find ways to reduce the bombing and violence,” he said.