How do I solve 7 down in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31238?

Question

Accepted Answer

7 down reads "Confused conflict – Middle East's leaders shelter" (5 letters); the answer is MELEE. It's a charade: the answer breaks into parts in clue order, each part clued by a word or short phrase. No indicators needed; watch for standard abbreviations (RA = artist, US = American, IN = at home) and short synonyms. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

Confused conflict – Middle East's leaders shelter (5)

7D — Confused conflict – Middle East's leaders shelter (5) — MELEE