The Middle East is going to go from bad to worse. The past year has seen great upheaval in the region, beginning with the Hamas-led Oct. 7 invasion of Israel and the subsequent wars that followed in its wake. Israel is fighting a multifront conflict of varying intensities against Iranian proxies. But a final showdown, between Jerusalem and Tehran, looms — and it has been years in the making.

On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas and other Gaza-based Iranian proxies invaded Israel, murdering more than 1,200 people and taking hundreds hostage. Many were killed in the most barbaric fashion imaginable. The terrorists tortured family members in front of one another, burned the elderly alive in their homes, and committed mass rape. The invaders were proud of their handiwork, often filming it and, in some cases, even calling their parents to brag about their crimes.