JOSH COHEN: The risk of Israel and Iran going to war just ratcheted up
'IS losses have consolidated Iran’s strength in the region, allowing Tehran to establish a Shi’ite “land bridge” extending through Iraq, Syria and Lebanon to Israel’s northern border'
Middle East tensions are flaring – again – as Lebanon becomes the new front in the regional rivalry between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shi’ite Iran. But while the focus of the news has shifted from the battering of Islamic State to the repercussions of the resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, there’s been a remarkable silence about one of the Middle East’s most important players: Israel.In an ironic twist for the Jewish state, the IS losses have consolidated Iran’s strength in the region, allowing Tehran to establish a Shi’ite “land bridge” extending through Iraq, Syria and Lebanon to Israel’s northern border. That raises the risk of a military clash between Israel and Iran right at a time when American engagement in the Middle East may start to wane. This threat is not something the Trump administration can afford to ignore. One of the increased dangers is that Iran’s expanded footprint will make it easier for Tehran to ship weapons through to Hezbollah, its militant ...
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