The “elimination” of Yahya Sinwar in a tunnel in southern Gaza was a bit of serendipity. An Israeli patrol reportedly saw three people running and opened fire. They were surprised to find Sinwar — and the best news is that there were no hostages near enough to be harmed.

How ironic that the deaths of so many terrorist leaders — Moammar Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein, Hassan Nasrallah and now Sinwar — seem banal and yet so brutal.

So now what? Will this death prove an inflection point or yet another chapter in Israel's long wars against Iran and Iran’s proxies? Could momentum build now for a resolution that pulls the region together and isolates Iran — or better yet, changes it?

What world will we face next Oct. 7? It could well be even more dangerous. This is not just because by then, the U.S. will have a new president, nor because of the tactical playout in the region. Other countries are watching the chaos in the Middle East and the turmoil in America’s politics. And the ones that would seek to do harm to us, our friends and our interests are showing increasing willingness to cooperate and be opportunistic. Nothing spells opportunity like chaos.

Iran, of course,........

© The Hill