The Middle East is on tenterhooks, again . A dangerous slide into an all-out war is being feared by most even as few seem capable of doing anything substantial to stem it. Nations are rationalising their actions based on their worst fears about their adversaries. And the US , the only major power still capable of significantly influencing the trends on the ground, is at a loss as it tries to stand by its long-time ally while also reassuring others who want a de-escalation . The politics of the Middle East has never been for the faint-hearted, and in this day and age when global dysfunction is at an all-time high, the region's fissures are ready to explode in unprecedented ways. Long In The Making The stage was set for the latest round of escalation in the Middle East when Israel attacked Iran's embassy compound in Damascus two weeks back, killing two senior commanders of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) and their aides. This included Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a key figure in the Iranian operation to arm the Hezbollah. Iran put the blame quickly on Israel for the air strike, viewing it as a violation of its sovereignty and vowing retaliation. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had made it clear that Israel would be punished for the attack, while President Ebrahim Raisi had also underlined that Israeli actions would "not go unanswered".
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