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Source: https://nationalinterest.org/blog/middle-east-watch/the-war-that-rewrote-the-middle-east
The War that Rewrote the Middle East
(National Interest) Dr. Gad Yishayahu - Over 24 months of sustained combat, Israel demonstrated an unexpected capacity for prolonged warfare - politically, economically, and psychologically. Moreover, the notion that Israel cannot wage war in more than two or three domains simultaneously was shown to be outdated, as it operated across seven domains: Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Iran, and the West Bank, without losing strategic coherence. Israel ceased to behave like a besieged enclave and emerged as a regional power with expansive capabilities. The war also destroyed the myth of sanctuary. From Tehran to Yemen and even Doha, Israel struck its enemies with ease and precision. The era of "safe havens" for planners and financiers of anti-Israel operations has ended. In addition, the legend of underground invincibility collapsed. Iran, Hizbullah, and Hamas poured vast resources into subterranean networks they believed impregnable. Yet the killing of Hizbullah's Hassan Nasrallah in a fortified bunker last year put an end to this myth. The Israeli-American strikes on Iranian facilities also underscored that even the deepest tunnels and bunkers may no longer guarantee safety. Under U.S. CENTCOM, several Arab militaries quietly joined missile-defense efforts against Iranian strikes, an event unthinkable prior to this war. The U.S., too, shifted from a passive supporter to an operational partner, with the alliance maturing into a working, action-based partnership reminiscent of U.S. relations with NATO members. The writer is a visiting lecturer in the Department of International Relations at City, St George's University of London.