A shadow war? The Shia-Sunni equation behind Iran’s Gulf attacks

For decades, West Asia had learned to live with tension. Proxy battles, covert strikes, deniable operations and quiet escalations had defined the region’s uneasy equilibrium. But what unfolded in recent weeks broke that pattern. Iran did not just respond to the joint strikes by the United States and Israel, it widened the battlefield. In doing so, it dragged the Gulf into a conflict many believed would remain contained between Tehran, Washington and Tel Aviv. The shock was not limited to the region.