Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 11, 2018

Natasha Turak, CNBC: Could Israel and Iran go to war in Syria?

* Israel bombed more than 35 sites in Syria, both Iranian and Syrian, in response to an alleged Iranian rocket attack just after midnight local time Thursday.
* Israel's response was its largest military engagement in Syria in 45 years — since the Yom Kippur war of 1973.
* Continued fire along the Israeli-Syrian border may become the 'new normal' and miscalculation could trigger a wider war, security experts warn.

Israel bombed more than 35 sites in Syria — both Iranian and Syrian — early Thursday in response to a rocket attack it said was launched by Iran just after midnight local time.

Amid a rapid escalation of regional tensions, the strikes have thrust a simmering shadow war out into the open.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed it struck nearly all of Iran's military infrastructure in Syria, dramatically ramping up hostilities between the two longtime adversaries that until now were largely fought out by proxies.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 11, 2018

Has Israel opened a new front in Syria's war? -- Ramy Allahoum, Al Jazeera

Iran and Israel have little incentive to hurry down the path to war -- Martin Chulov, AP

AP Explains: Unprecedented tension between Iran and Israel -- Sarah El Deeb, AP

As tensions flare with Iran, Israel embraces Russia -- Maxim A. Suchkov, Al-Monitor

Is Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei trolling Trump? -- BBC

Whether or not Beijing defies US sanctions, China’s roots in Iran are already deep -- Asia Times

Al-Abadi defeated IS. Why won’t he sweep Iraq’s elections? -- Philip Issa and Qassim Abdul-Zahra, AP

Iraqi Voters are Fed Up with the Old Guard -- The Economist

China’s regional ambitions reshaping India’s foreign policy -- Bertil Lintner, Asia Times

The Trump-Kim Summit: We Finally Have a Date -- National Interest

Singapore ties with US, NKorea make city-state summit site -- Annabelle Liang, AP

Kim should ally with the U.S. -- Chun Young-gi, Korea JoongAng Daily

Malaysia’s Mahathir pulls off second political act just like Churchill, Abe, Berlusconi and Netanyahu -- AFP

Central Asia Opens the Door to Afghanistan -- James Durso, The Diplomat

Putin comes out with a ‘Russia First’ strategy -- M.K. Bhadrakumar, Asia Times