Jolyon@jolyon

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Brandon Weichert on Middle East tensions

What stuck with me after going through the region with Brandon Weichert is how fast the unthinkable becomes background noise. Six months back, one item from that list would have led every broadcast for days. Now a missile hitting an airport, a tanker on fire, a country getting its troops ready to move: they pile up in the same stretch of hours and barely register. On the security front, Israeli media describes a widening rift over Netanyahu's push to strike Iran. Eyal Zamir, the IDF chief, is pushing back, and Mossad is said to be split as well. A big blast tore through a weapons depot in Syria with no explanation yet for what set it off. Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani officials sat down with Iranian counterparts in Tehran even as Washington shifts more military hardware toward the region, and Brandon's concern is that a future US operation might put Marines ashore on Iranian-held ground instead of stopping at another air campaign. Hezbollah is restocking its arsenal on Iranian money. A tanker was reported burning near Iraq's coast. The Houthis keep up their attacks on Saudi Arabia, and Egypt is getting ready to assist in Saudi Arabia's defense. The whole thing keeps sliding toward another war.

1h

Jolyon@jolyon

Follow

Brandon Weichert on Middle East tensions

What stuck with me after going through the region with Brandon Weichert is how fast the unthinkable becomes background noise. Six months back, one item from that list would have led every broadcast for days. Now a missile hitting an airport, a tanker on fire, a country getting its troops ready to move: they pile up in the same stretch of hours and barely register. On the security front, Israeli media describes a widening rift over Netanyahu's push to strike Iran. Eyal Zamir, the IDF chief, is pushing back, and Mossad is said to be split as well. A big blast tore through a weapons depot in Syria with no explanation yet for what set it off. Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani officials sat down with Iranian counterparts in Tehran even as Washington shifts more military hardware toward the region, and Brandon's concern is that a future US operation might put Marines ashore on Iranian-held ground instead of stopping at another air campaign. Hezbollah is restocking its arsenal on Iranian money. A tanker was reported burning near Iraq's coast. The Houthis keep up their attacks on Saudi Arabia, and Egypt is getting ready to assist in Saudi Arabia's defense. The whole thing keeps sliding toward another war.

1h