The fact is that we are already at war. It may not be official, but it is no less real. It’s been going on for a few years now, even if its intensity has gone back and forth based on shifting circumstances. It is being waged on many fronts, both covertly and in the open. The front that gets the most attention is Syria. On that front, Iran and its subsidiaries (Assad and Hezbollah) are fighting against a bizarre coalition that can lead to nothing good. This alliance brings together Sunnis of various shades of extremism, terrorist groups such as Islamic Jihad and al-Qaeda, Western nations (who mainly provide money), and “moderate” Arab states.
As usual, Israel is caught in the middle. But there are the other fronts too: between Israel and Iran, between Iran and the West, between Israel and Hezbollah, and between Israel and Hamas. Apart from all that, Egypt is burning, Jordan is wobbling, and the situation inside Lebanon hardly bodes well. Welcome to the Middle East.