Even the prospect of civil war cannot be ruled out,' an expert tracking growing violence in the West Bank told Newsweek.

Critics feared it would plunge the Middle East into a wider war. That doomsday scenario has not come to pass, at least for now: Iran made only symbolic retaliation against America; soon after, a ceasefire ended the fighting between Iran and Israel.

DUBAI - Iranian authorities have arrested hundreds of people and executed half a dozen in a sweeping security crackdown that analysts say is aimed at exerting control after a brief but punishing war with Israel exposed Iran’s deep infiltration by Israeli intelligence.

Iran says its nuclear program is for civilian energy purposes, and so peaceful. But it had enriched uranium to a near weapons-grade level, and well beyond what is needed for energy, putting it close to developing a bomb if it opted to do so.

Iran’s president has ordered the country to suspend its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency after American airstrikes hit its most-important nuclear facilities