A year ago, the Middle East seemed primed for a breakthrough: normalization of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
More broadly, U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration was touting a de-escalation of tensions across the region. The U.S. even seemed to have reached some informal understandings with Iran, not enforcing oil sanctions and permitting it to receive several billion dollars in payments from Iraq for natural gas and electricity. In return, Iran was to dilute some of the uranium it had enriched to 60% (near weapons grade) and bar its Shia proxies from firing at U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria.
Then came the horrific Hamas attack of Oct. 7. With Hamas embedded in densely populated areas of Gaza and its leaders and fighters hidden in tunnels, Israel faced a cruel dilemma: target Hamas leaders, fighters and military infrastructure and kill large numbers of civilians, or spare Gaza and permit Hamas to prepare to attack Israel again.
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