I recently returned from a trip to the south east Syrian province of Deir al Zur, where I witnessed Kurdish and American soldiers in a tense face-off against Iranian and proxy forces along the Euphrates River line. After making my way home to Jerusalem via Iraq, Jordan and northern Israel, I had hoped for a couple of days respite from the Middle East and its attentions.
No such luck. A terse message arrived in my community WhatsApp group: ‘The Home Front Command has this evening updated the list of required items, in an article at its national emergency portal. In contrast to the previous list, the current list includes food and water in accordance with the needs of the household. It remains subject to change.’
Either way, I’ve stocked up on bottled water and tinned tuna.
A day after I left Deir al Zur for the Syrian border, on 26 March, an Israeli air raid on Iranian targets in the province killed 16 Revolutionary Guardsmen (IRGC).
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