It is the moment so many feared. All-out war in the Middle EastThe lands around the east of the Mediterranean Sea and Arabia. , as IsraelA country in the Middle East, and the only Jewish nation in the modern period. It is seen by Jews, Christians and Muslims as the Holy Land. launched a ground invasion against HezbollahA militant organisation based in Lebanon, classified in the UK as a terrorist group. It has made direct attacks on Israel and is believed to have been responsible for assassinating Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. in LebanonA small country on the eastern Mediterranean coast that has been in the grip of an economic crisis for over a year. It has a native population of just 4.7 million, but migrants and refugees have brought its total population up to almost 7 million. last night and expanded its strikes from GazaThe smaller of two Palestinian territories, home to two million people. It is located on the Mediterranean coast, bordered by Israel and Egypt. and the West BankA landlocked territory bordered by Israel, Jordan and the Dead Sea. It is the largest of the Palestinian territories. to YemenThe poorest country in the Gulf region is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis. .

Israel has eliminatedGet rid of all examples. the leadership of HezbollahA militant organisation based in Lebanon, classified in the UK as a terrorist group. It has made direct attacks on Israel and is believed to have been responsible for assassinating Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. with bombings that have also killed well over a thousand people and forced many more to leave their homes. In Yemen it struck a port controlled by another group, the HouthisAn Islamist rebel group that controls a large part of Yemen. They are allies of Hamas in Gaza. .

But this is not just a local battle. Both groups are close alliesAn ally is someone that aligns with and supports a cause with another individual or group of people. of IranA country in Western Asia, officially called the Islamic Republic of Iran. It has a population of 84 million. .

The Americans might tell one story. The USAThe United States of America is a country in North America. It has a population of 329 million. wants to put its focus onto Asia, but it keeps ending up being involved in Middle Eastern politics because of its enemy, Iran.

Some now hope that if Israel can defeat Iran, other Arab nations will begin to support Israel.

Defeating Iran will in turn weaken RussiaThe largest country in the world by area. It has a population of 144 million people., which relies on Iranian weapons for its war on UkraineA country in Eastern Europe. It was invaded by Russia in February 2022. . That will free the US finally to make its "pivot to Asia".

This is one story. In the Arab world, however, the view is quite different. Many Arab nations feel strongly in favour of the PalestinianPalestine is an area of the eastern Mediterranean region, including the West Bank, Gaza Strip and parts of modern Israel. It has been fought over by Arab and Jewish national movements for many years. cause.

They see Israel as a coloniserA country that takes over and rules another country. of Palestine that due to American backing, can attack Arab states.

Only 13% of people in Arab countries think there will ever be a possibility for peace with Israel.

For much of the Arab world, then, the epic struggle is not between the US and Iran. They feel it is their own struggle for freedom.

And that may doom any American plan.

Can two simple stories explain it?

Yes! For the USA and Israel, this is a chance to reshape the world to their advantageSomething (such as a good position or condition) that helps to make someone or something better or more likely to succeed than others.. But people in Arab nations believe in a very different story.

No! This is more complex. Starting a big war will have consequencesThe result of an action. that nobody can imagine now. There are far more than two stories here.