What's happening?

World leaders are calling for calm. After IranA country in Western Asia, officially called the Islamic Republic of Iran. It has a population of 84 million. attacked 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. at the weekend, many hope that Israel will not hit back.

The situation in the Middle East is very tenseA situation in which people are anxious or unable to relax.. Most countries have different interests. These are the main ones.

Hamas. 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. group which runs GazaThe smaller of two Palestinian territories, home to two million people. It is located on the Mediterranean coast, bordered by Israel and Egypt. . It launched a terrible attack on Israel on 7 OctoberOn 7 October 2023, the Palestinian group Hamas, which controls Gaza, carried out a series of surprise attacks on Israel, killing more than 1,000 people and taking more than 200 hostages. . Israel's war on Gaza in response has now brought wider support for the Palestinian people.

Israel. Israel believes it is surrounded by enemies, of which Iran is the greatest.

Iran. Some Iranian leaders dream of destroying Israel and holding the power in the Middle EastThe lands around the east of the Mediterranean Sea and Arabia. .

The US. The only country that can really influence Israel. But President Netanyahu does not always listen to it.

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Hezbollah. A pro-Iranian group based 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.. It is a serious threat to Israel.

The Houthis. Iranian-backed rebels in YemenThe poorest country in the Gulf region is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis. who have been attacking ships in the Red SeaA seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean. To its right is Saudi Arabia, to its left the coast of north Africa.. They claim this is to support Palestinians.

Saudi Arabia. Iran's rivalRivals are two groups competing for the same thing. . With strong ties to the US it is likely to push for peace.

Britain. It supports Israel, but has seen huge pro-Palestinian protests.

What is particularly worrying is that many of the main players have an interest in keeping the conflict going. They see it as a way of stopping people in their own countries from criticising them.

Yes! Israel is bound to hit back against Iran, which will then respond. The US and Britain will be drawn in and the situation will get out of control.

No! Iran does not really want a war. After all, it gave Israel a warning of its attack. The US does not want a war either, so it will put pressure on Israel.