Iran drags more countries into Middle East war: What you need to know with Laura Tingle

Hi, I'm ABC global affairs editor Laura Tingle, in Dubai.

I'm going to give you daily updates to help you quickly understand what's going on.

Here's what you need to know today 

• A US submarine has sunk an Iranian Navy ship off the Sri Lankan coast. More than 80 are dead, and a rescue operation is underway to search for survivors.
• Back in the Middle East, the bombardment of Gulf states seems to have subsided, and details have emerged of a backchannel deal with Iran to open safe flight corridors.
• The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified in Lebanon, with almost 10 per cent of the Lebanese population being forced by Israel to evacuate north.
• Iran seems to be trying to drag even more countries into the conflict — sending a missile towards Türkiye, a move that could have dragged NATO into the fight (but hasn't).
• There are now "spot fire" conflicts breaking out across the region — from Syria, to the Kurds in Northern Iran, and Iranian allies in Iraq.

What's the fallout?

As always in a war, all sides in this conflict talk a big game. But the moves by Iran to try to drag more and more countries into the conflict are starting to look a little desperate: designed to maximise the pressure on US President Donald Trump to back off or risk massive economic fallout.

There are a few developments that suggest Tehran isn't really in control of events — including the need to delay the Ayatollah's funeral.

And, once again, if you try to separate the bluster from the realities, the deal struck between Gulf states and Iran on opening safe flight routes suggests there is still some capacity for pragmatic horsetrading — and keeping links open with its neighbours — within the Iranian regime, despite directing hundreds of missiles and drones at them in an attempt to maximise the global economic damage being caused by disrupting oil and gas supplies and markets.

Stranded Australian travellers probably don't care about the motives. But they should be grateful that it has at least let some planes fly out of the region.

If you want more today, try this

• Iran has started using exploding drone boats to target vessels that could attempt to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. My colleague Annika Burgess explains what drone boats are and the impact they're having.

In other developments overnight

• About 200 Australians have arrived in Sydney on the first commercial flight out of the region since the war began.

And here's how to stay up to date

You can keep track of the latest updates from Iran and around the world throughout the day via our live blog.

Thanks for joining me. I'll see you at the same time tomorrow.