Fresh reports suggest that at least some Gulf states are now egging on the US-Israeli bombardment of Iran, hoping that the Islamic Republic’s significant ballistic missile can be blunted forever, after countries from Bahrain to UAE to Saudi Arabia have been target of literally thousands of drones and missiles since Operation Epic Fury began. “This is not a military exchange. This is an attack on a peaceful nation, a nation that has been working diligently and very hard for diplomacy,” Sultan al-Jaber, the U.A.E. minister of industry and advanced technology, was quoted by The Wall Street Journal as saying. Jaber stressed, “Any long-term political settlement must address the full spectrum of threats, including Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic missile capabilities, and their network of regional proxies.” And yet, Israel and the US now extending their aerial attacks to Iran’s oil infrastructure has immediately resulted in Iran declaring that it will in turn target oil fields and infrastructure among America’s Gulf allies. As these easily predictable steps on the escalation ladder continue to play out, China is ignoring President Trump’s request to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz for vital global oil transit. What Beijing has made clear, however, is that it wants all parties to cease hostilities […]