Missiles lit up the night sky over Jerusalem Tuesday as Iran fired back against Israel. The counterattack came days after Israel invaded Lebanon, significantly escalating a conflict in the Middle East nearly one year after it began.
“The question I think we all should be concerned about is, 'When does this stop?'” said Rice University Political Science Professor Emeritus Richard Stoll.
Stoll said it is likely that Israel will respond, but to what extent and for how long?
“Tomorrow, does this all end and we go back to just the normal levels of conflict in the region? Or is this the start of something more significant that could bring us to a point of all-out war in the Middle East?” he said.
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If that happens, will Israel ask the U.S. to become more involved? U.S. warships fired a dozen interceptors Tuesday in Israel's air defense.
“I don’t think the Biden administration is going to do anything. I don’t think President Biden wants a legacy where he put us in a huge catastrophic conflict before he leaves office. So, I think it’s going to be up to the next president, whoever that is,” said George Seay, chairman of the Clements Center for National Security.
Seay said while he believes another world war is unlikely, the U.S. could increase its presence without putting boots on the ground.
U.S. & World
“I think we’re all kind of war weary after Iraq and Afghanistan, and the American people don’t want us to get involved too much in a conflict. But with the new technology out there today, whether its missile technology or drone technology, we can play a very, very heavyweight role without putting boots on the ground and jeopardizing American lives,” he said.
Seay said he believes Americans’ support or opposition to becoming more involved could shape the upcoming election, especially after Iran’s attack.
Stoll said while Russia fights its own war against Ukraine, increased U.S. involvement could pose a new question of whether Putin would step into the fight.
“I think the chances of this are very, very slight. But do we down the road, not too far away from where we are now, see the U.S. and Russia in a situation where they might be directly involved against one another? Again, I think it's highly unlikely, but we just don't know when this particular part of the ongoing conflict in that region is going to deescalate,” said Stoll.
