THE eyes of the world are fixed on Israel as it contemplates its response to Iran's retaliatory attacks following Israel's bombing of the Iranian embassy buildings. Chinese experts warn that Israel's response could trigger a dangerous cycle of retaliatory strikes between the two countries, destabilizing the Gulf region and worsening the overall security situation in the Middle East. However, a full-scale war between Israel and Iran is not imminent, they predicted.

The current conflict between Iran and Israel has also exposed growing divergencies between Israel and the United States, said Chinese experts. Israel's self-willed behavior has clearly disrupted President Joe Biden administration's international and Middle East strategies, as well as the domestic arrangements for the presidential election, and their disagreement will widen as conflicts in the Middle East drag on.