We have a significant development out of Jordan tonight, along with several other developments across the Middle East worth bringing together before we call it a night. Jordan Jordanian aircraft have carried out strikes inside southern Syria following Friday’s attack on St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church in Karak, which killed nine people and wounded dozens more. Jordan says the strikes targeted militant hideouts connected to extremist activity uncovered during the investigation into the church attack. Earlier today, Jordanian security forces captured the three men accused of carrying out the shooting after tracking them to an abandoned house in Karak. All three were wounded and taken alive after reportedly opening fire on security forces. Jordanian authorities have described the suspects as extremists, but they have not identified them as members of a particular terrorist organization, and no organization has claimed responsibility for the church attack. Syria says Jordan’s strikes killed seven civilians, including three children and a woman, and disputes Jordan’s assertion that the operation was coordinated with Damascus. Syria has now closed the principal Nassib border crossing between the two countries. That turns what began as a terrorist attack and domestic investigation into a cross-border military and diplomatic confrontation. We need to watch what happens next very carefully. Egypt and Saudi Arabia Egypt’s parliament has formally authorized President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi to provide military assistance to Saudi Arabia as Houthi missile and drone attacks continue. For now, Egypt is describing its potential role as defensive. That could include aircraft and air-defense systems used to intercept incoming missiles and drones. Cairo says it does not intend to send ground forces into Yemen or participate in offensive operations there. Authorization does not mean Egyptian forces have entered combat, but another major Arab military now has the legal authority to participate directly in Saudi Arabia’s defense if requested. Iran and Diplomacy At the same time, an unusual amount of diplomacy is taking place in Tehran. Senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey met Iranian officials today, while Qatar continues its own mediation efforts in coordination with Washington. Discussions are expected to continue, but no agreement or breakthrough has been announced. That diplomatic effort is worth watching because it is occurring while military preparations throughout the region continue to increase. Yemen The Saudi-led coalition says it has destroyed additional Houthi ballistic-missile infrastructure, including missile-storage tunnels and launchers. Fighting around Mokha is also moving dangerously close to humanitarian operations. Doctors Without Borders reports that strikes landed near Mokha General Hospital, damaging the facility, although patients and staff were unharmed. This remains one of the most active fronts in the region, and the potential involvement of Egyptian air-defense assets would represent another significant change. The United States Despite everything happening tonight, I have not seen confirmation of new American strikes against Iran or an attack against American personnel. Washington continues to signal that additional military action remains possible, while regional governments are simultaneously trying to find a diplomatic way to prevent another major round of fighting. That leaves us in an uncomfortable position tonight. Jordan has now crossed into Syria, Egypt is preparing to help defend Saudi Arabia, the Saudi-Houthi fight continues, and senior regional officials are sitting across the table from Iran trying to keep another war from beginning.