But whether the current course of events will follow the course of 2020, cannot be said with certainty.

Many experts have argued that Iran’s greatest mistake was not to acquire nuclear weapons

The US policy will almost certainly remain the same: to support and arm Israel while largely ignoring the Palestinians’ plight in Gaza.

Will the US make sincere efforts to diplomatically solve the crisis?

Israel's military said the air force was carrying out extensive bombings of Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon and two Israeli soldiers were killed, taking the Israeli military death toll inside Lebanon to 11.

All sides are aware that any retaliatory strike against Iran's nuclear or oil installations would send the Middle East spiralling even more towards chaos, but Israel seems not to have made a decision yet.

Israel widened its airstrikes in Lebanon on Wednesday and at least 72 people were killed, according to a Reuters compilation of Lebanese health ministry statements. The ministry earlier said at least 223 were wounded.

Asked about reports that Israel had warned people through phone messages ahead of the strikes, she said: "Whether you've sent out a warning you're telling civilians to flee, doesn't make it OK to then strike those areas, knowing full well that the impact on civilians will be huge..."

Arab Parliament President Adel Al Asoomi in an exclusive interview with The Daily Star.

A defiant Iran said it will "proudly bypass" sanctions by the United States that took effect yesterday targeting the Islamic republic's vital oil and financial sectors.

A former Mossad chief tells an Israeli television program that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the order in 2011 for the military to prepare to attack Iran within 15 days.

Turkish allegations of Saudi, Emirati and Egyptian support for the outlawed Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) threaten to turn Turkey's military offensive against Syrian Kurds aligned with the PKK into a regional imbroglio.

Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has not only angered Palestinians but also outraged world leaders.