Author: Andrew Thomas, Lecturer in Middle East Studies, Deakin University

Israel’s strike on military targets in Iran over the weekend is becoming a more routine occurrence in the decades-long rivalry between the two states. Israel has conducted low-level or “unofficial” operations in Iran in the past, but since the October 7 2023 Hamas attacks on southern Israel and subsequent Israeli war in Gaza, tensions between Iran and Israel have spilled over into direct military confrontation for the first time. While the consequences of this particular strike are not yet clear, it does show that the violence in the Middle East is not winding down any time soon. This is also…