Lebanon: Capitulate or Escalate?

Iran and the United States are like two lorries driving towards an inevitable collision unless one of them flinches and moves out of the way. Without a huge diplomatic effort to defuse the situation and prevent a crash, an apocalyptic scenario seems likely. With the US losing much of its credibility as an honest broker, Europe is the only actor capable of doing this.After a test run in Lebanon, the choice for the US is between capitulation via Syria or escalation via Iran.