When the world's at stake,
go beyond the headlines.

Welcome to The Adversarial. Every other week, we’ll provide you with expert analysis on America’s greatest challengers: China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and jihadists. Read more below.***IranOn Oct. 1, Iran launched its second major direct attack against Israel since April. The barrage of around 180 missiles, which initial assessments suggest caused little damage, came amid mounting losses to the Islamic Republic and its allies, especially Hamas and Hizballah: One of the former’s top leaders was killed by Israel in Tehran two months ago, while the latter’s senior echelons have been decimated since mid-September. New Western sanctions are reportedly being crafted in response to Iran’s widely condemned attack, but the consequences are likely to go beyond that. An Israeli response against what it regards as the animating power behind its multi-front enemies seems a forgone conclusion, with a range of potential targets likely under consideration — from military facilities to critical infrastructure, and perhaps even nuclear sites or regime leadership in the crosshairs. From there, the worst-case scenario that has loomed since Hamas’ attack last year could prove all too plausible: A major regional confrontation between Israel, backed by the United States and holding the upper hand in terms of intelligence and hardware, against Iran and “Axis of Resistance” partners who, though bruised, can still conjure up significant capabilities.    Iran’s October 2024 against Israel. Image by Tasnim via Wikimedia CommonsChinaIn the last week the Chinese government has announced a number of steps designed to bolster the economy. The People’s Bank of China cut its interest rate by 0.2 percent, lowered bank reserve requirements, cut mortgage rates, and provided additional support to the stock market. Additional handouts to consumers and refinancing for local governments are rumored as well. Chinese stocks are up nearly 25 percent since the announcements. Does this signify that