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Opinion

Why the Iran–Israel Pas de Deux Is Uniquely Delicate

The Iran–Israel interaction is not quite the dance macabre that the rest of the world thinks it came to watch.
Why the Iran–Israel Pas de Deux Is Uniquely Delicate
Military personnel stand guard at a nuclear facility in the Zardanjan area of Isfahan, Iran, on April 19, 2024, in this screengrab taken from video. West Asia News Agency via Reuters
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Commentary
Iran and Israel are engaged in a war that is, in fact, a delicate pas de deux—a ballet sequence for two players—in which each dancer has to carefully guess the moves of the other. Failure to correctly anticipate the steps, and act accordingly, could result in, at worst, a nuclear conflict, or, perhaps at best, the downfall of one or other government, or both.
Gregory Copley
Gregory Copley
Author
Gregory Copley is president of the Washington-based International Strategic Studies Association and editor-in-chief of the “Defense & Foreign Affairs” series of publications. Born in Australia, Copley is an entrepreneur, writer, government adviser, defense publication editor, and Member of the Order of Australia. His latest and 37th book is “The Noble State: Governance Options in an Ignoble Era.”