US working 'around the clock' to avert escalation in the Middle East The international community is scrambling to avoid a military escalation between Iran and its allies on the one hand, and Israel on the other, with the United States assuring that it is working "day and night" to prevent a regional conflagration. For more information, FRANCE 24's Genie Godula interviews Scott Lucas, professor of US and international politics at the University College of Dublin.