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Risks of a wider Mid-East conflagration are rising
US strategy of containing the Gaza conflict is faltering with none of the key regional players in full control of the situation.
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The unfolding Middle East crisis is a perfect example of enduring US influence and a painful reminder of America’s limitations at the same time.
PHOTO: NYTIMES
From the moment Hamas fighters struck Israel on Oct 7, 2023, the United States concentrated on one priority: preventing the inevitable Israeli reaction from setting fire to the entire Middle East.
Yet more than three months on, Washington’s ability to contain the violence to Gaza alone is rapidly diminishing. As US Secretary of State Antony Blinken admitted this week while visiting the capitals of the Middle East, the smouldering embers of war generated by Gaza are threatening to set the entire region alight.
