On the morning of June 9, explosions were heard in parts of Iran. Two months of uneasy truce had just collapsed. The US called its strikes "self-defense" after one of its military aircraft was downed. Within hours, Iran answered with "fierce strikes" on American bases across the Middle East. The conflict, which US President Donald Trump claimed "could be ended in four days," has now dragged on for more than 100.

CGTN Stringer asked locals in Massachusetts, US, how the protracted conflict has affected them. Many said energy and food prices have risen sharply. The government's top priority, they said, should be restoring economic stability for the sake of people’s livelihoods. "I don't think there’s a winner in any conflict like this," one resident said. "No more innocent lives should be caught in the crossfire."