Ex-US Commander: In Mideast, ‘We’re in the Wider War Now’

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — The Middle East is on the brink of a new war, after a dizzying series of events: Israel has battered Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, including the assassination of the group’s leader; Iran – Hezbollah’s longtime patron – has attacked Israel; and now Israel is vowing to carry out a powerful retaliation against Iran. As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put it, “Iran has made a big mistake…and it will pay for it.” 

Israel has been at war with Hamas in Gaza for nearly a year, but in less than two weeks, its war against Hezbollah has brought it to the verge of a full-scale war with Iran. And now the Middle East, for all the tensions and conflicts that have riven the region for years, is in uncharted territory.