Experts assess the roles that various actors may seek to play during and after conflict, including Hezbollah , the Houthis, Iraqi militias, Palestinian factions, and international powers such as China, Russia, and the EU. Iran ’ s historical animosity towards Israel, coupled with its support for various groups across the Middle East, has intensified tensions. The attack achieved Iran’s strategic aims of reshaping the rules of engagement and imposing significant costs on its adversaries. The Israeli attack on Iran 's nuclear program and military assets and Iran 's responding missile strikes represent a significant escalation in the long-standing tensions between the two nations. RAND experts provide insights into the strategic, diplomatic, and economic dimensions of this unfolding crisis. In the current landscape of the Israel -Palestine conflict, Iran finds itself at a crossroads, carefully weighing its role and potential ramifications on the broader regional stage. Iran ’s historical support for groups opposing Israel , such as Hezbollah and Hamas, has not gone unnoticed. The conflict between Iran , Israel , and the United States has many components: the Iranian nuclear program, Iran ’s missile and drone capabilities, and the impacts of U.S. Sanctions on domestic social and economic realities in the Islamic Republic. Iran has been a major adversary of Israel since the Islamic Republic came to power in 1979. Militant anti-Zionism and staunch opposition to the U.S. Are key components of the regime’s ideology and drive Tehran’s foreign policy and military endeavors. Independent Thinking: What does the Iran – Israel war mean for the region and the world? Sanam Vakil, Renad Mansour, Mohammed Baharoon and Ksenia Svetlova join Galip Dalay to discuss the meaning of the war, prospects for de-escalation and the impact on the wider Middle East. The escalation between Israel and Iran has raised many important questions about a region already facing crises on multiple fronts.
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