The Middle East Situation

Tension has increased in three of the region's arenas over the past week. In the Gulf, Iraq's repeated air strikes on Kharg Island have contributed to an increasingly hostile atmosphere between Iran and the Arab states of the Gulf, particularly Kuwait. As the US ponders what course to take in trying to revive Middle East peace efforts, tension has risen sharply in that domain, with Israel issuing more warnings to Jordan against its partnership with the PLO,...