Iran's sudden strikes show just how perilous region has become - BBC News

Iran wanted a message to be heard loud and clear - at home, and a long way beyond.

4 days agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warBy Lyse DoucetChief international correspondentThese are shape-shifting times in the Middle East.

This week, out of the blue, Iran suddenly attacked targets in "friendly" Pakistan, sparking an unprecedented tit-for-tat across their volatile border and a sharp spike in tension on a far edge of the grievous Israel-Gaza war.

Iran wanted a message to be heard loud and clear - at home, and a long way beyond.

"It has showcased its missile arsenal and its willingness to use it," says Vali Nasr, professor of international affairs and Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins University.

"It was a message also likely intended for Israel and the US in the midst of the Gaza war, especially with the potential escalation in Lebanon and Yemen."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-68017444?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

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