Strategic Ambiguity and Proxy Warfare: The Middle East Crisis
July 31 was the casting date for a much-feared escalation in the Middle East as Israeli leadership acknowledged killing of the Hezbollah leader Fouad Shukr (July 30) but keeping enigmatic silence on the killing of the Hamas top leader and negotiator Ismael Haniyeh in Tehran under the nose of the almighty Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). It happened when the new reformist- conservative Iranian President Dr Pezeshkian was just sworn in who hoped for some improved relationship even with the West. Iranians obviously were livid not only that Haniyeh was killed but killed in Tehran violating their sovereignty. They concluded Israeli hand and vowed revenge including by the 3Hs- Hezbollah, Hamas and Houthis and add the Shia militias in Iraq to the list, which makes a powerful and potent mix of resistance groups so called “Axis of Resistance” against their wily enemy -whose very existence is an anathema for them. Major powers came into action.