Israel and Iran step up their conflict in Syria….China ready to walk in the door Trump seems to want to close….

After years of cold war through proxies and intelligence operations, Israel and Iran have entered a hot war in Syria.

Where things stand: The missile launches from Syria Wednesday night were the first ever direct Iranian attack against Israel. The Israeli retaliation that came right after was the largest air strike by the Israeli Air Force in the region since 1974.

The big picture:

• The Israeli-Iranian escalation is one of many crises that were created out of the Syrian civil war.
• Iran and its proxies, who were instrumental in helping the Assad regime change the direction of the war, want to cash in on their investment. The Iranians want to build a robust military presence in Syria, and open a front with Israel 1,000 miles from home.
• Israel, on the other hand, is adamant that it won’t let that happen. As an Israeli official told me, “Unlike in Lebanon, this time we are going to nip it in the bud.”
• The Israeli goal is not to end Iranian presence or influence in Syria, but to prevent Iran from being able to attack Israel from Syrian territory. Or, as an Israeli official told me, “We don’t have a problem with Iranian doctors and diplomats in Syria, but with military units, Hezbollah and Shiite militias.”….

More…

Also…..

The U.S. exit from the Iran deal leaves a lane open for China.

• Beijing is the top consumer of Iranian crude oil and is deeply invested in the region for its energy resources.
• Washington’s sanctions on companies and countries that do business with Iran will hit European firms the hardest. That leaves room for China and Russia, both well-positioned to evade U.S. sanctions, to strike deals with Iran.
• The China National Petroleum Corporation partnered with the French oil and gas company Total to develop Iran’s South Pars oil field, and if Total loses its stake in the deal due to U.S. sanctions, China could take over….

More…