Helene Cooper Eric Schmitt and Julian E. Barnes

U.S. forces and militias backed by Iran have launched tit-for-tat attacks, fueling concerns as Israeli forces also clash with Iranian-backed groups.

For months, U.S. officials said cross-border operations risked a dangerous escalation. But those fears have ebbed.

The Biden administration is considering the argument that Kyiv needs the power to strike at the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.

Both sides are expected to pause operations. But heavy snows and freezing temperatures could make it difficult for the poorly equipped Russian army to regroup.

As Russia makes slow but steady progress, the arrival of new weapons systems will help Ukraine hang onto territory, U.S. officials and analysts say.

The help that sank the Moskva, the most significant loss by any navy in 40 years, is part of an administration effort providing real-time battlefield...