Israel-Iran War: Bibi’s Gamble to Ignite a Catastrophic U.S.-Led War
Israel-Iran War: This War Could Kill Millions and Reshape the World
The absence of quality and unbiased reporting is adding to the fogginess of the Iran-Israel war. Though the two sides, with the help of all kinds of eyes in the sky, have clarity about the nature of the enemy on both sides of the Iran and Israel border, ordinary and lay people—whose concerns and beliefs have already been declared by the government, whether they agree with their rulers or not—are clueless about who is winning the war and why Iran is losing so many of its military commanders.
Israel-Iran War: US Shift, Lost Deal, and Shadow Politics
What is clear after a close reading of the media before the first shot was fired by Israel is that Iran and the US were on the threshold of signing a nuclear agreement, followed by the withdrawal of sanctions on Tehran. This would have been a key development, and it would have knocked off the reasons for Israel to pursue a certain kind of anti-Iran politics. Instead, it would have also made it difficult for Israel to mobilise Sunni Arab states. Besides, the withdrawal of US sanctions on Iran in 100-odd days would have turned this West Asian nation into a different country. There is a view that the US was obliged to remove sanctions now, as it would have lost control of the ability to impose snapback sanctions when its issue would have expired in October 2025. This is an outcome of the folly President Donald Trump committed from his own security architecture.
Much of how the US perceived Iran changed after Donald Trump became the President. A former Democrat and now Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Tulsi Gabbard, issued a statement claiming that Iran was not building a bomb. For inexplicable reasons, attributed to the machinations of the deep state, the US’s opinion changed. It seems that Trump was struggling to hang on to the position of not being a warmonger.
Israel surprised both the US and the world when it used its fifth-generation stealth aircraft to bomb some key targets—ostensibly where the nuclear bomb was being assembled in Natanz and Fordow. Though there was no debris, the Iranians claimed—like the Pakistanis did against India during its four-day face-off—that they brought down a few F-35s. The Israelis claim that they use their long-range missiles to target military commanders and top nuclear scientists, but it is eminently possible that these were assassinated by Mossad agents under the cover of chaos caused by the Israeli bombing. What is being repeated ad nauseam is that Iranian society is subverted by Mossad, as people are opposed to the clergy. The refrain is that with the bit of push, the country would crumble, and there would be an opportunity for regime change. Recent serials on Apple TV, like Tehran, are wheeled out as testimony of how sick and tired the Iranians are of the rule of the clergy. This narrative has been questioned by an Iranian writer who has lived in incarceration but refuses to go against national interest. There are millions more that are fighting against a powerful enemy that is now controlling the Arab world for Western powers. Iran is the only country that is standing up to it—even if it is ruled by the clergy.
Israel-Iran War: Dragging the US Into Disaster
Not surprisingly, Iran has provided ample evidence of its military power and prowess. Though it is 2,000-odd kilometres from each other, Tel Aviv and other cities have been hammered by Iranian missiles. Its much-vaunted dome, considered to be a powerful anti-projectile system, has been broken through many times. Due to this, parts of Israel resemble that of a bombed Gaza. Israelis that have believed that no Arab country or Iran can hurt them are wiser. They are used to stepping in and out of their bomb shelters. Their misery has few sympathisers in the neighbourhood. The Arab street has pathological hate for them, and they want them to suffer the same fate as the miserable Gaza.
The endeavour of Israel’s pugnacious PM, Benjamin Netanyahu—who is mostly in Greece—is to drag the US into this Israel-Iran war. And there are reasons. First, Israel does not have the capability to blow out nuclear facilities in Iran. The US has the bunker-busting facility. Secondly, the US can play a big role in regime change. And as the US enjoys considerable goodwill in Iran, Israel believes that the Washington-led change will be more acceptable. Could repeat Syria here too!
Iran is no Syria, though. It will be a colossal tragedy if the US gets goaded by Israel and enters the war. As a military expert from Israel presciently stated—Israel should accept US mediation and get an honourable and dignified resolution to this crisis. An Israel-Iran war, in his view, could hurt Israel, as Iranians have long memory and they could hurt the Israeli state in the long term.
What is worse is that the Western powers have no interest in peace. They are giving legitimacy to whatever Netanyahu is doing, either in Gaza or in Iran. It’s high time that they wake up to the looming threat of an unending war in West Asia.
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