Iran is also weighing its own Rubicon, the river in northern Italy, which Caesar reached before he marched on Rome two thousand years ago. Iran may now move towards nuclear armament. It may also seek to push its proxies in Iraq and Syria to strike at Israel. It could increase threats to the Golan.

The Israeli ambassador to Washington says that a ceasefire deal to end fighting between Israel and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah could be reached “within days.”