The US and Israel's accelerating battering of Iran is wreaking havoc in the Middle East.

More than 1200 Iranian targets have been bombed, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is warning harder strikes are yet to come.

Iran's responded with attacks targeting US assets in surrounding states, including the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia. 

It's also blocking the Strait of Hormuz - an important oil shipping route. 

Former CIA intelligence officer Glenn Carle says blowing up the air defence systems is one thing, but without US forces on the ground, there will still be armed revolutionary guards. 

"What do the United States and Israel do, to force whoever's holding the guns out, or to do what the United States wants?"

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