America and Iran step closer to the brink of war

IN THE 100-ODD days since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th, President Joe Biden has sought to help Israel win its war in Gaza and prevent the conflict from turning into a regional war with Iran and its proxies. That is proving harder as Iran’s and Israel and America engage in ever more dangerous strikes on each other, including assassinations.Iranian allies in Iraq and Syria have launched about 140 rocket and drone attacks against American troops since the start of the Gaza war. Perhaps the most severe came on January 20th, with a volley of “multiple ballistic missiles and rockets” fired at the Al Asad base in western Iraq, according to America’s Central Command. Reports say Patriot air-defence batteries intercepted most of them, but some hit the base, concussing or otherwise wounding an unknown number of Americans and Iraqis. Hitherto America has retaliated against local proxies. Mr Biden will now face growing pressure to take stronger action against Iran itself. It is a dilemma: do nothing and America looks weak; retaliate and the president risks a new war in an election year.