Oct. 22, 2024 |
The bill comes due in Tehran. The war in the Middle East just passed the one-year mark, but now it looks like a whole new war. After 12 months of bombing in Gaza and driving a ground offensive to its border with Egypt—in response to the Hamas attack of October 2023—Israel has now taken the fight to Hezbollah—the militia allied with Hamas and most powerful political party in Lebanon.
In the last month, Israel has blown up the group’s pagers and walkie-talkies, assassinated its longtime leader, invaded Lebanon, and stepped up bombing raids on south Beirut and other Hezbollah bases. Meanwhile, the U.S. bombed Yemen, aiming for suspected weapons stores of the Houthis, another Hamas ally.
Together, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis share the same main source of funds and weapons: Iran. And now, Iran is getting directly engaged in the conflict, itself—after launching 180 or so ballistic missiles at Israel, though Israel intercepted them. What exactly is Iran doing here?
Today, Alex Vatanka looks Iranian strategy in the Middle East—and the momentous decision the Iranian regime is facing on whether to keep attacking and undermining Israel or to compromise and keep itself in power.
—Michael Bluhm