After a string of setbacks and humiliations that include the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon, Iran has fired its long-range missiles directly at Israel. As Binyamin Netanyahu and his generals ponder their next move, there are obvious targets and huge unknowns.

First, the pager attacks of two weeks ago on Hezbollah command became a bombing campaign that triggered the mass displacement of Lebanese civilians. Then came signs of growing incursions into Lebanon and now direct confrontation on a whole new scale between Israel and Iran.

Since October 7 of last year, US diplomacy has been in overdrive to prevent an out-of-control regional war. Can an ageing lame duck president be heard above the din of blaming and brinkmanship? If not, then who?