Why Iran’s Jerusalem Strikes Risk Sparking a Broader Religious Conflict

Iranian missiles have fallen near Jerusalem’s holiest sites, raising the risk of igniting a broader religious conflict across the Middle East. Whether by accident or design, Iran has repeatedly sent projectiles hurtling in the direction of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which are sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians, respectively.

The plateau that houses Al-Aqsa is already a flashpoint between Israelis on one side and Palestinians and the Muslim world generally on the other. Any major damage to the sites there would likely provoke outrage among the latter — aimed not necessarily at Iran but potentially at Israel. It could also activate Israeli extremists who wish to reclaim the plateau for a Jewish temple, which would certainly inflame Arab Muslims.