Twisted art and the Middle East under fire

People walk through the artwork 'Infinity Mirrored Room' during a preview of the new major exhibition of legendary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne on 12 March 2026.

A member of the Red Crescent rescue team stands next to a building that was damaged by a US strike in Tehran, Iran, on 17 March 2026.

Iranian security chief Ali Larijani takes part in a pro-government rally in Tehran, Iran, 13 March 2026, a few days before Israel assassinated him.

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli air strike that targeted an area in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut on 17 March 2026.

A displaced woman walks in a stadium-turned-shelter in Beirut on 11 March 2026, following Israel's latest offensive on Lebanon.

Zana, 22, poses for a photo after loading a vehicle with sacks of charcoal at a traditional production site in Sarkand, Iraq, on 12 March 2026.

Muslims perform late-night prayers known as "Qiyam al Layl" on the 27th night of holy month of Ramadan, in the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on 15 March 2026.

A worker inspects liquefied petroleum gas cylinders, arranged for customer delivery at a distribution centre on the outskirts of Amritsar, India, on 13 March 2026.

A resident stands at the site of buildings hit by a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on 16 March 2026.

Kashmiri Muslim men offer prayers during Jumat-ul-Vida, the last Friday of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at the Hazratbal Shrine in Srinagar, Indian Kashmir, on 13 March 2026.