The past month has tested the Middle East to breaking point. Following US-Israeli strikes on Iranian targets at the end of February, Tehran attacked Gulf infrastructure and disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices have surged, global supply chains are strained, and households are feeling the squeeze at the petrol pump and on their energy bills. In such circumstances, the case for urgent de-escalation is overwhelming. Yet de-escalation must never mean disengagement.

The Middle East stands at a dangerous inflection point. The confrontation involving Iran, Israel and the US is not merely another episode in a long cycle of regional tensions — it…

The past month has tested the Middle East to breaking point. Following US-Israeli strikes on Iranian targets at the end of February, Tehran attacked Gulf infrastructure and…