In the West, Iran is often seen as an aggressor state, one whose actions challenge the West and perpetuate conflict. But who is the real escalating force in the Middle East? Associate Professor Christian Emery argues that Iran's latest attacks fall directly into Netanyahu’s trap, they indicate de-escalation is not on everyone's agenda, and that the gulf between Israeli and American interests is wider than ever.

When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged that Israel would ‘change the Middle East’ in response to the unparalleled horror that followed Hamas terrorists storming communities in southern Israel, he provided no elaboration on what he meant. Six months of carnage in Gaza and across the region have followed, and the first direct attack on Israel by another state since 1991 is one of several changes that Netanyahu surely didn’t anticipate.

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The question now is whether both sides decide to return to their decades-long shadow war, or whether the fall-out from the third and deadliest war in Gaza is a permanent willingness to strike directly at each other’s territory.