Escalation in the Middle East: Israel and Iran on Collision Course

Tensions in the Middle East are reaching a new peak: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced retaliatory measures for an Iranian attack on Israel, emphasizing, "Whoever attacks us, we will attack them." Iran's latest strike continues a chain of escalations in the region and threatens to further expand the conflict. Steve Clemons, founding editor of the Washington Note, spoke with Catalysts about the impact of this conflict on the United States and the global economy. According to Clemons, the U.S. firmly supports Israel's right to self-defense and was informed on the ground before Israel carried out the attack on Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah. The close relationship between the two nations is reinforced by U.S. arms supplies that Israel uses in these military operations. Netanyahu is using the current instability to take action against some of Israel's deepest and greatest enemies, Clemons continued. Despite warnings from the White House, the Israeli Prime Minister apparently wants to escalate the conflict further, which places the Biden administration in a position where it has little choice but to continue standing behind Israel. In this "eye-for-an-eye" escalation, both Israel and Iran are relying on toughness to demonstrate their resolve. While Iran claims to have completed its wave of attacks, it is likely that Israel will retaliate. An Israeli attack on Iran could ignite global concerns about oil supplies, as Iran is one of the main producers of crude oil.