On the brink of war

The Middle East is on the brink of war. This is a critical moment where if diplomacy fails, the region could become a sea of ​​fire.

Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets into areas in Israel near the Lebanese border. (Source: Arab News)

Following the explosives planted on communications equipment that caused heavy damage to Hezbollah forces, Israel's most intense airstrikes on Lebanon since 2006 left more than 550 people dead and more than 1,800 injured, putting the Middle East on the brink of war.

Since the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip broke out, Hezbollah has also started missile attacks on Israel in support of Hamas. However, despite the rhetoric and threats of mutual destruction, neither Israel nor Hezbollah nor Iran - the country that supports Hezbollah - want a full-scale war.

With its overwhelming military superiority, Israel is capable of destroying the capital Beirut and other areas of Lebanon as it did in the Gaza Strip to destroy Hezbollah. But even in a weak position, Hezbollah can still cause serious damage to Israel if it fires missiles at strategic locations of the country such as airports, power plants, offshore gas rigs, etc.

As a result, until recently, fighting between Israel and Hezbollah took place only along the common border, with tacitly accepted “red lines” regarding the geographical scope of attacks and the requirement not to target civilians.

But last week’s devastating Israeli attacks on Lebanon could push the Israel-Hezbollah conflict into a new phase. With a potential of 15,000 members, 150,000 missiles of all types and 2,000 drones, Hezbollah is much more powerful than Hamas. The Israel-Hezbollah conflict would therefore be much more devastating than the current fighting in the Gaza Strip.

Not only that, once this conflict escalates, it could turn into a full-scale war, drawing both the US and Iran, the countries that are backing both sides of the conflict, into direct confrontation.

The Middle East is on the brink of war. This is a critical moment where if diplomacy fails, the region could become a sea of ​​fire.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/trung-dong-ben-bo-vuc-chien-tranh-287759.html