The year everything (and nothing) changed in the Middle East

BACK IN FEBRUARY, ten months and a lifetime ago, a diplomat from a Gulf state offered this correspondent a confident prediction about the year ahead. The Middle East, he argued, was tired of conflict. De-escalation and diplomacy would be the orders of the day, as old foes saw the benefits of making peace. “This is a moment of change for the entire region,” he said.At least that last part was correct. in Israel on October 7th, and the Israeli offensive in Gaza that followed, have seen the deadliest conflict between Israelis and Palestinians since 1948. It has pushed the region to the brink of a , one that has already drawn in America, Iran and militants from at least four Arab countries.