US policy is leading to a wider war: Jeffrey Sachs on Middle East tensions

Six months into Israel’s war on Gaza, fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East are mounting. On April 13, Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles towards Israel in an unprecedented attack. The strike came after Israel’s April 1 bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria that killed two top generals.

Israel vowed retaliation and, less than a week later, reportedly launched a drone strike on Isfahan, in central Iran. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States has “not been involved in any offensive operations”. But the US government has announced new sanctions on Iran, including on its drone production, and urged de-escalation.

So what lies ahead? And is the US doing enough to avert a wider regional conflict?

On UpFront this week, Marc Lamont Hill talks to Columbia University Professor and Special Advisor to the United Nations Jeffrey Sachs about US foreign policy and rising tensions in the Middle East.