The recent Israel’ attack on Lebanon opened a new chapter in the ongoing struggle between Israel and the US on one side and Iran on the other. Israel was hoping to crush the Lebanese Shi‘ite Hezbollah militia but was unable to prevail despite waging a particularly brutal campaign. The US used its influence in the UN to delay the imposition of a ceasefire, against the wishes of most other governments and of Lebanon's in particular. The indecisive outcome of the war has demonstrated the relative decline in the military power of Israel and the rise of militant Shi‘ite Islam in the region.
