Hezbollah’s Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah cited the following point in one of his speeches last year: the west and particularly the US is becoming too preoccupied with its own problems to be able to fully support Israel. Nasrallah has continued to hint at this point, the last time being in a speech he made just about a week ago.

The latest developments in the Middle East appear to give credit to this argument. During Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent visit to Washington US president Barack Obama repeated his rejection of the military option against Iran's peaceful nuclear program for the time despite Israeli support for this option.

Obama administration officials have warned of the negative repercussions of possible war on Iran. Among these repercussions they say is the danger on American troops in the region and the rise in oil prices which would come in the midst of an economic downturn in the West. Administration officials have also cited the strong capabilities of the Syrian army as a reason not to intervene militarily in Syria which is getting increased political and military support from countries like Russia.

The Syrian file has in fact led to the talk of a new era in the Middle East where countries like Russia and china are playing increasingly significant roles. Both countries have vetoed resolutions against the Assad government which have been presented by Washington and its allies.

The new era evolving in the Middle East doesn’t appear to be one where the US has a free hand. But this is not the only bad news for Israel as there are growing voices in the US which blame Israel for Washington’s retreat in the region and describe Israel as a strategic liability