John Jenkins, former British ambassador to Middle East, talks about Israel-Hamas conflict

Former British ambassador to Saudi Arabia , Libya , Iraq and Syria talks to John Jenkins .

Jenkins says Israel 's policy of 'mowing the grass' has collapsed.

He says the Israelis are trying to remove Hamas from Gaza and keep the north quiet.

But the level of attacks across the border from Hezbollah and Israeli responses has ticked up in the last two weeks .

Iran 's backing of these groups is a way of making sure that any conflict happens elsewhere.

It gives the Iranians a way to project force in the region, as we saw with the attacks on oil installations at Abqaiq and Khurais .

Some of this is shaped by domestic politics, such as the belief in the return of the Twelfth Imam.

Iran wants the U.S. out of the Middle East and wants to exercise full and legitimate leadership over the Muslims of the world, says JJ .

He says Iran has by its nature as a state, by its geographical position and by its demographic weight, it is the major Shia power that it has ownership of this issue.