The world had been for months expecting the conflict in the Middle East to blow up. That escalation has happened finally. It has been a remarkable turnaround for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was under siege from within and under pressure from the outside. After Iran launched almost 200 missiles towards Israel, most of which were intercepted, Netanyahu has made it clear that Iran had made a "big mistake" and that it would "pay for it". The US is reportedly "discussing" the possibility of Israel striking Iranian oil sites and warnings continue to emanate from Iran that more is coming.

Diplomacy is no longer even in discussion, and like many times in the past, battlefield realities are dictating the behaviour of key protagonists in the never-ending Middle Eastern saga. This time, Israel and Iran are face to face. After an Israeli air strike killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, Netanyahu warned Iran - Hezbollah's patron - that it could also become a target, underlining that "those who strike at us [Israel], we will strike at them", and that "there is nowhere in Iran or the Middle East beyond the reach of the long arm of Israel". Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, for his........

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