With Israel poised to attack Iran, having already blindsided friends and foes alike with its blitz against Lebanon¡¯s Hezbollah movement, all the talk is of an inexorable slide toward a new, pan-Middle Eastern war.

Yet brakes remain to halt a regional fall into a wider conflagration that would lock Israel and Tehran into escalating conflict and suck in other nations, according to several people with experience in intelligence and military decision-making.

Israel is unlikely to flinch from launching an aerial barrage on Iran as soon as in the coming days in retaliation for Tehran¡¯s decision to launch about 180 ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday, the experts said.