Middle East conflict cycle should be stopped

Israel's continued brutal assault on the Gaza Strip, and the spillover of the conflict in the region have raised the alarm across the world. After Iran launched major missile attacks on Israel on Oct 1 in response to the killings of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah by Israeli missiles, observers feared that Israel's possible retaliatory attacks on Iran's energy facilities would send the global oil market in a tizzy and impact the global economy.

On the first anniversary of the Gaza crisis, Iran canceled all flights from 9 pm on Oct 6 to 6 am on Oct 7, which was interpreted by the international community as a precautionary measure against possible retaliatory Israeli airstrikes. Although Israel didn't launch any airstrikes, the fear of a full-scale war in the Middle East has not dissipated.

Israel is the representative of US power in the Middle East. Due to the military, political and economic support provided by the United States, Israel has for long regarded Iran and the Iran-supported "Axis of Resistance" as its enemies. No wonder one of the key strategies of the US and Iran is to attack Hezbollah in Lebanon with the aim of weakening Iran.