The regional conflict between the Iran axis and the Gulf-Israel axis in the Middle East is complex because it's a geopolitical conflict clothed as an ideological conflict, clothed further as a sectarian conflict. Even if you remove one layer, there are others underneath it.
This is before even mentioning historical grievances going back decades/centuries, the long shadow of Western colonialism/supremacy, the legacy of nationalism, radicalization, and ruling elites that are anxious and paranoid. And, of course, the will/native agency of the people.
For all these reasons, this conflict will persist in some form or another, and will only be resolved by a radical regional reconfiguration. This reconfiguration began decades ago and will continue for decades more, and many current actors will not survive it.
The question - for those who want to win the future - shouldn't (only) be how to manage conflict, protect societies, and reduce collective trauma. It's also to decide what kind of eventual peace we want to have, as children of the region. And then, to build its foundations.
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