Iran, Israel, and Hezbollah

   Over the past few days, the situation between Iran and Israel has rapidly deteriorated, following missile exchanges involving both the Golan Heights and Iranian military bases in Syria. Immediately, the US pledged its support for Israel's "right to self-defence", while Russia called for "restraint from all parties". A full-fledged Iran-Israeli war is unlikely, however, that does not mean that the conflict is over.
  Arguably the most important aspect to this situation is the reaction from the rest of the Middle East. Bahrain voiced its support for the Israeli strikes, and given this, it appears that Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and possibly Egypt also support these strikes. The ramifications of this move are clear - once again, rationale has triumphed over ideology, and Arab states have come to the realization that it is Iran, not Israel, who poses the greatest threat towards their current security. I've discussed this topic before with regards to Palestine - despite all the rhetoric and humanitarian issues surrounding Palestine, Palestine's strategic worth ultimately pales in comparison to that of the entire Middle East as a whole. If the Arab states were to move in support of Palestine, all they would accomplish would be to lose American support, and essentially guarantee an Iranian-dominated Middle East. So, while the Arab states publically condemn Israel, there is a private alliance between much of the Arab world and Israel. In the Middle East, the phrase "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" holds especially true.
     Thee is a second aspect to this as well - the repeal of the Iran deal. I have voiced my support for the Iran deal in the past - and frankly, Trump's recent repeal of the Iran deal looks more like a deranged attempt to destroy the Obama legacy, rather than a well-thought-out strategic gambit. However, there is a major consequence to the Iran deal that could play into these recent skirmishes - both the Arabs and the Israelis despise the Iran deal, viewing it as too loose. What repealing the Iran deal does in the Middle East is bring about closer ties between America, the Arab world, and Israel - an alliance that could easily counter Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Russia.
     Thus, while repealing the Iran deal dramatically increases tensions in the Middle East, it also could strengthen America's position in the Middle East by essentially leveraging the entire Arab world against Iran, at least in the short term (in the long term, repealing the Iran deal is still a terrible decision on multiple levels). In the wake of the Iran deal repeal, the best way forward for the United States is to become more aggressive - countering Iran in not only Iraq and Syria, but also in Yemen and Libya. Of course, Iran is likely making the same calculation -  and Hezbollah could potentially be unleashed into Israel, wreaking havoc across the region. While it is tempting to jump to the immediate conclusion that the US should wipe out Hezbollah, this would be a repeat of Vietnam. Hezbollah is simply too entrenched in Lebanon, and catapulting ourselves and our allies into a protracted ground war is the last thing that the Middle East needs. However, Hezbollah does have a weakness - it's formidable array of missiles and other arms are primarily provided by Iran. This supply stretches over two countries (Iraq and Syria) and is a weakpoint in Hezbollah's otherwise intimidating position. With ISIS no longer a threat, the best way to counter Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah is to launch joint, Arab-Israeli-American strikes against Iranian supplies heading into Hezbollah. This includes the munitions depots and factories (where arms bound for Hezbollah are stored and manufactured) as well as increasing espionage efforts, and making sure that ships bound for Lebanon are not laden with arms. Hezbollah has been designated as a terrorist group for years - it is high time that we act on this designation.
   The repeal of the Iran deal has created an unfortunate situation, but the only thing that America can now do is to capitalize. With the current state of Middle Eastern affairs, and a region of Iranian hegemony stretching from Tehran to Beirut, America and her allies must now act against Iran. The first step in doing this is by cutting off Hezbollah from its Iranian master.