With its grip on Lebanon suddenly in doubt, Hezbollah will have to think more than twice before launching an assault on Israel.
The gigantic series of explosions which destroyed the port of Beirut and severely damaged much of the rest of the city has, of course, been extensively commented upon. I don’t presume to know what caused the explosions, although it’s clear that the first set off the second and the second set off the third. When events like this happen, it is usually useful to follow the ancient Roman maxim of cui bono, that is, who benefits? Even that is not clear in this case.