Proxy fight is a delicate dance

A file photo from 2020 showing a wall by the road outside Baghdad’s international airport marred by shrapnel marks. ­— ©2024 The New York Times Company

FOR all the fears of an outbreak of fighting in the Middle East that could draw the United States, Israel and Iran into direct combat, a curious feature of the conflict so far is the care taken – in both Teheran and Washington – to avoid putting their forces into direct contact.

No one knows how long that will last, American and European diplomats and other officials say.