Iran-Israel War: A New Era of Direct Confrontation in the Middle East

Further escalations occurred in July and October 2024, including the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and another round of Iranian missile strikes on Israel, followed by Israeli retaliatory strikes in Iran. These incidents steadily eroded the unwritten rules of engagement in the shadow war, paving the way for the full-scale conflict that erupted in June 2025.