Israel’s strikes are shifting the power balance in the Middle East, with US support

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Israeli military strikes are targeting Iran’s armed proxies across a nearly 2,000-mile stretch of the Middle East and are threatening Iran itself. The efforts raise the possibility of an end to two decades of Iranian ascendancy in the region, to which the U.S. military campaign in Iraq in 2003 inadvertently gave rise. As in the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the possible rewards and dangers in any move from diplomacy to warfare against Iran and its regional allies are easy to summon up, but impossible to know for sure in advance. Advocates of Israel’s campaign hope for the weakening of Iran and its armed proxies. Critics caution against military victories without considering the risks or plans for what comes next.