AS we now know, the United States knew beforehand about the recent Iranian attack on Israel. This and the US decision not to be part of any Israeli retaliation together suggest that there is no imminent threat of a large-scale war in the Middle East. Isarel alone cannot do that.

The fact is that Israel alone cannot even continue its current atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank. Without the support of the US and its allies, Israel does not have the military and diplomatic muscle to do what it has been doing for years. Talking of US-Israel nexus, it is a bit strange that the conflict in the Middle East almost always takes a turn for the worse when the US holds primaries that finally lead to presidential elections. Since a prolonged war does not suit current US interests, the world can, say, afford to breathe easy for the time being at least.

Dr Saif R.K.
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2024