Regional rifts - Attacks have upended the diplomatic landscape

As the death toll rose, and the security consequences multiplied, Israel pointed its finger at Tehran for orchestrating the Hamas attacks. These may have been born of anger at the Netanyahu coalition's behaviour, including the provocations at al-Aqsa mosque, but Iran and the forces it supports have a longer-term strategic goal: to thwart the US-led effort to normalise relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, a move that would entrench the US in the Middle East - and in Iran's eyes deprive Palestinians of their last influential sponsor.

- Patrick Wintour

Iran's goal is to denormalise the region, and make it near-impossible for Saudi Arabia to strike a deal. Israel wants to shrink the Palestinian conflict diplomatically so it gradually becomes an irrelevance, a historical curio such as the Yom Kippur war.