Middle East expert Rob Geist Pinfold argues that despite the recent escalation, neither Washington nor Tehran appears eager to return to full-scale conflict.
He points to one detail above all.
Iran has deliberately avoided striking Israel directly, while the U.S. has so far kept Israel from reentering the fight.
According to Rob, that's not a coincidence.
Both sides understand that once Israel is back in the war, it becomes much harder to control the pace of escalation or return to diplomacy.
He also believes there's a growing divergence between the Trump administration and Netanyahu's government.
While Israel has historically been more willing to sustain a prolonged conflict, Rob argues Washington has become increasingly cautious after discovering the last campaign was neither quick nor decisive.
His broader point is that both sides are still applying pressure.
But they're doing it in ways designed to avoid crossing the one line that could make another regional war almost impossible to stop.
Even so, Rob warns that the margin for error is shrinking.
One Iranian strike on Israel, or one major strategic miscalculation by either side, could send the entire region straight back up the escalation ladder.
@DrRGeistPinfold
