The latest escalation was set in motion by Hamas ’ Oct . 7 , 2023 , attack on Israel, which sparked a crushing Israeli response and eventually drew in Iran’s other allies, who were in turn crippled by successive waves of Israeli strikes, leaving Iran largely alone in facing Friday’s onslaught. Israel and Iran alike prioritise conflict management over conflict resolution . But neither are effective are achieving this pessimistic goal. Concurrently, the ongoing conflict has precipitated a role reversal in Iran and Israel's regional visions. Israel is a traditionally a status quo power, whereas Iran has followed a revisionist grand strategy. 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. We illustrate that, stuck in a cycle of path dependency, Israel and Iran perpetuate the same policies that have caused decades of conflict throughout the Middle East. The regime may have survived a war with Israel , but its legitimacy is more fragile than ever, writes Sanam Vakil. On Saturday night, American B-2 Spirit stealth bombers and submarines struck three of Iran ' s most critical nuclear sites: Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. The strikes represented the first direct. Iran has retaliated by launching hundreds of drones and missiles against Israel , some of which have penetrated Israel’s vaunted aerial defence system, killing two dozen people so far. Western diplomats acknowledge snapback would be a dangerous moment that would embolden hardliners in Iran , the US and Israel, raising the threat of military action.
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