It’s clear we are already in a Middle East war – one that will be difficult to stop

The constant question this year has been: are we on the brink of a regional all-out war?

On Tuesday, a barrage of Iranian missiles showered fiery comets over Israeli towns, sending citizens into air raid shelters. In the ravaged southern borderlands of Lebanon, families cowered under plumes of glowing red from Israeli warplanes and a ground invasion.