Israel is trying to expand the Iran conflict into a war with nuclear-armed Russia — a dangerous escalation that Washington so far has refused to join.

• Israel appears to be feeding Ukraine intelligence to strike Iranian targets, hoping to drag Russia and the US into a much bigger war.
• Ukraine's leader may go along with it, betting that a wider war finally pulls America fully into the fight against Russia.
• For Israel, a bigger war would reframe the fight as defending Ukraine — a far more popular cause than defending Israel — and keep the Iran war alive.
• A US-Iran deal is possible on the nuclear issue and the Strait of Hormuz, but Iran won't accept anything that lets Israel occupy southern Lebanon or crush Hezbollah, its buffer against future attacks.
• Trump so far isn't taking the bait, and Israel can't sustain a war with Iran without heavy, ongoing American backing.

Outlook: Israel is expected to keep pushing to widen the war, but without US support the fighting likely stalls, and the Lebanon question remains the hardest obstacle to any lasting deal.