Sharon Reich-Garson

allies have reacted with concern to this weekend's action, with the EU describing the situation as, quote, perilous.

A letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Iranian President Massoud Pazeshkin has been shared on Russian state TV.

In it, Putin calls Khamenei's death a cynical murder that violates international law.

China's called for a ceasefire and says the attacks are brazen aggression against a sovereign nation.

The conflict has caused widespread cancellations of flights.

Major Middle Eastern airports, many of them key travel hubs, have been shut, causing some of the biggest disruptions to global aviation in years.

Disruption also to the flow of global oil supplies.

While Iran only exports about 2% of global supplies, almost 20% of overall trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

That's the waterway separating Iran and other major oil producers in the Arabian Peninsula.

At least 150 tankers have dropped anchor in open Gulf waters beyond the Strait, and dozens more were stationary on the other side of the chokepoint.

Disruption to shipping could mean higher oil prices, according to our energy and commodities editor, Dmitry Zhdanikov.

Dmitry says we'll have to wait until Monday to know just how high prices will rise.

But there are already hints of a steep climb ahead.

To keep up to date with all the latest developments in Iran, head to Reuters.com.

A link to our live pages in the pod description, as well as a map showing where the United States and Israel have launched strikes.

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We'll be back with any significant updates, but our next scheduled podcast will be the Monday episode of Reuters World News.

Hi, I'm your weekend host, Sharon Reich-Garson.

It's Saturday, February 14th.