Middle East & Africa | Conflict in the Middle East

The Arab world thinks differently about this Iran war

A new spectator sport with scary consequences

A Syrian man holds a destroyed part believed to be of Iranian drones that were shot down by Israeli air defenses, in Jbeiliah village, southern Syria,
Photograph: AP
|DUBAI

The social-media trend du jour in Lebanon is videos of ballistic missiles streaking across the night sky. The projectiles, fired by Iran at Israel, have been the dramatic backdrop for house parties, dinners out and even a few weddings. Some of the people sharing such clips are glad to see strikes on Israel, which waged war in Lebanon last year. Many others are simply relieved that the missiles are headed somewhere else. The latter is a novel feeling, not only in Lebanon but across the Arab world. A regional war has erupted—but for once, it does not involve Arab countries (at least not yet).

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