For years, Israel contained its conflicts with Tehran, Hamas and Hezbollah. The broad assault on Iran highlights a shift in strategy.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned on Wednesday that direct U.S. military assistance to Israel could radically destabilise the situation in the Middle East, where an air war between Iran and Israel has raged for six days.

The U.S. military is positioning itself to potentially join Israel’s assault on Iran, as President Trump weighs direct action against Tehran to deal a permanent blow to its nuclear program. Trump on Tuesday urged residents of Tehran to flee and suggested he was weighing action against Iran,