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Yerevan-based political analyst Sergei Melkonian, a research fellow at APRI Armenia, has warned of a risk of new “hotspots” emerging in the Middle East after Iran’s direct involvement in the regional conflict.

Iran launched missile and drone strikes on targets in three countries – Iraq, Syria and Pakistan –  in two days this week in response to attacks carried out on its soil or against Iranian targets. Pakistan responded with a missile attack on Iranian territory.

In an interview to Panorama.am on Friday, Melkonian claimed the scope of Iranian strikes may hint at a new level of tensions in the region.

"Incidentally, the exchange of strikes between Iran and Pakistan were within the scope of controlled escalation. This means that the parties, understanding the risks, are able to keep the escalation under control. There are direct contacts between the parties, the Foreign Ministries of Iran and Pakistan are holding negotiations," the expert noted.

He elaborated that in the current situation Pakistan had to “save its face”, because Iran publicly announced that it had launched missile strikes on the territory of Pakistan, an unacceptable statement from the point of view of international law. Pakistan, a nuclear superpower, could not leave it unanswered and its response was symbolic as no actual Iranian military and political targets were hit.

Referring to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East, the analyst emphasized that Israel has not yet achieved its goal in Gaza.

"Israel's aim is to destroy Hamas. From a military point of view, Israel has partially achieved its goal, but the war could last for more than a year. The question is whether Israel is ready to fight a long war because it contradicts the country’s basic doctrine, according to which Israel cannot afford a long-term war which would inflict a heavy blow on its economy," Mlkonian stated.