‘Extremely problematic’: Middle East escalation catches US ‘off guard’

USYD Senior Politics Lecturer Dr Peter Chen discusses the recent escalation in the Middle East as tensions between Israel and Iran intensify.

“Obviously the escalation here is extremely problematic,” Mr Chen told Sky News Australia.

“It has caught a number of actors off guard and the most obvious one is the United States.

“Under President Trump, the United States has been attempting to negotiate with Iran, a new nuclear deal.

“The US has been calling for its allies in Israel to withhold their attacks.”