🖊Yahya Kanaqiri, BBC Arabic

Missiles and drones reach the airspace of Arab countries and their air-defense systems track them, but Arab governments still avoid entering into direct confrontation with Iran.

From Jordan to the Gulf countries on the periphery, it appears that the Arab countries’ equation so far has been grounded in protecting airspace and vital installations, while keeping the right to respond firmly preserved—“without joining offensive operations or being drawn into an all-out war.”

But how long can this situation last, and at what point will the cost of not responding become higher than the cost of confrontation? Can human casualties, attacks on vital installations, or threats to sea routes change the calculations of the Arab capitals and push them toward direct confrontation with Iran?

Continued from:

📸Getty/ Reuter/ Bloomberg via Getty / US Central Command/ AFP via Getty