The two powers have been exchanging barrages since Israel attacked Iran and killed many of the country’s top military leaders and scientists.

Shapiro served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East until January—charged with, among other things, considering scenarios in which tensions between Israel and Iran escalated into all-out war and preparing U.

What does the conflict mean for the rest of the world, who is backing who, and how close are we to World War Three?