Hundreds of kilometers of Syria and Iraq separate Israel and Iran, but the civil war in Syria has brought the two foes nose to nose. Early on April 9, Israel struck the Tiyas (T4) air base northeast of Damascus. To some, it appeared that Israel was acting on behalf of the United States in retaliating against the Syrian government's alleged use of chemical weapons. In reality, Israel was in pursuit of other quarry: Iran and Hezbollah, which have redoubled their efforts to challenge Israel along its northern border. But rhetoric between the two sides is one thing; actual war is quite another. Neither side is eager to launch a first strike that would lead to a major regional war, as the consequences would be grave for both. Instead, both are positioning themselves for a direct conflict between Tehran and Washington.