Images of senior U.S. military leaders in Washington, September 2023
Evelyn Hockstein / Reuters

Hamas’s surprise attacks on Israel over the weekend have launched a new round of violence that, beyond the current crisis, underscores the danger of escalation in any number of regional conflicts. The United States’ military forces in the Middle East are supposed to be able to respond if the need arises—but right now, politics at home are complicating the Pentagon’s long-term contingency planning. For months, the nominations of several top U.S. military officers slated to take command over forces in the Middle East have been left in limbo. President Joe Biden’s choices for the next

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