Some Middle East experts believe that the recent US decision to freeze arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE can be seen as a gift to Iran, while the Israeli statement about offensive military plans to curb Iran’s nuclear program may have been a direct message to the Biden administration, rather than to Iran.
Israel’s military Chief of Staff, General Aviv Kohavi, who was speaking at Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies, also added that Hezbollah and Hamas, considered as extensions of Iran, would be targeted by Israel’s air power.
Furthermore, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the Israeli people to prepare for the fall of missiles in any pending war and stipulated that Iran would not be allowed to have nuclear weapons.
Netanyahu, who prefers to negotiate with President Biden, whom he respects and with whom he has better relations than Obama, refuses to budge in his opposition to the US return to the agreement.
On the other hand, the office of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani described the Israeli army chief’s statement regarding the confrontation with Tehran as “part of a worthless psychological war,” emphasizing that they are “prepared to face any challenge.” It also added that “Tehran does not intend to attack any country, but it will not hesitate to defend itself.”
But the spokesman for the Iranian armed forces, Major General Abu al-Fadl Shikaraji, promised “to level Tel Aviv and Haifa immediately” if Israel did something wrong against Iran.
In Tel Aviv, Israeli political analyst Eddy Cohen asserted that “Israel does not recognize the nuclear agreement with Iran” and that Israel “wants to eliminate the mullahs’ regime in Tehran.“ “Please understand clearly that we want war with Iran.” He stressed that in this video.
Israel’s red lines explicitly state that it will not negotiate with Iran, but it will escalate to end the Iranian nuclear program on the grounds that it is an existential threat to the Jewish state.
Iran has been so relaxed and confident with the Biden administration that Iranian officials demanded that the US return the nuclear deal before Iran reverses its breaches of the pact. The Islamic Republic was keen on defending the independence of Washington’s anticipated return to the 2015 nuclear deal without any further conditions, despite the Israelis’ adamant rejection.
Iran has been euphoric since the United States got a new administration, which also explains its aggressive media campaign and new, careless rhetoric against Uncle Sam.
In this video below, Iran expressed unsubstantiated disrespect for the United States through new rhetoric that has emerged only after the recent US election. Iran’s Aerospace Force commander, General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, commander of IRGC ridiculed the capabilities of the American B-52 bombers. He added that the United States was “scared of Iran, and this is why despite Iranian drones flying over American ships, they have not retaliated.”
In this video, Iran challenges the United States by saying that America’s corpse must be seen to demonstrate the weakness of what he calls “the state of arrogance,” a term used by Iran’s first leader Khomeini when referring to the United States.
It appears that the current US administration is ignoring Iran’s threats to kill another six million Jews by targeting Israel, while the world remembers the Holocaust, when 6 million Jewish people were murdered during the Second World War.
Fortunately, Israel now has regional partners which share its concerns about Iran’s nuclear hegemonic ambitions. It would not be strange to see them facilitate the Israeli task of striking the Iranian nuclear project at a time when the Israeli army would be protecting civilian areas from Hezbollah and Hamas.
Furthermore, Israel has extensive knowledge of Iran’s military capabilities, as well as its leaders.
The killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh by a remote device east of Tehran last November should remain a reminder that Israel’s arm can reach far beyond its borders.
This implies that the region may be on the verge of a new regional war, in which Israel will need to defend its existence at a time when the Biden administration appears to turn a blind eye to such dreadful consequences.
Samir A. Zedan is a former Senior Counter-Terrorism Analyst at the US Department of State, and a former Development Outreach and Communication Specialist at USAID/Iraq. He has contributed to hundreds of articles published in major media outlets with assignments in the Palestinian areas, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Europe.
mortimer says
Biden’s jihad-friendly team will look the other way if Israel is threatened or attacked. Israel has no other option than to defend itself if Biden’s Junta refuses to intervene on the side of Israel.
cjk says
So we can sum up O’Biden’s Israel policy as forcing Israel to preemptively strike Iran so they can condemn and isolate Israel afterward.
Westman says
The options to prevent war are rapidly fading. Iran has resumed uranium enrichment to the 20% level and is producing about 17 kg/month. The energy cost and the number of centrifuges required drop inversely as the percentage of enrichment increases. The majority of time and expense has already been paid when reaching 20%.
17kg @ 20% X 12 mo/yr = 204kg/yr @ 20%
204kg @ 20% X 0.2 = 40.8kg @ 100% (actual U235 contained within the 20% mix)
Weapons grade is 90%
40.8kg @ 100% X 1/.9 = 45.3kg @ 90% Assuming a 10+% loss in processing , 40kg @ 90%
The Little Boy used 64kg of uranium with < 2% yield. Iran has developed expertise in shaped charges(using our troops and humvees for field testing) and likely could get more than a 5% yield from 20kg of 90% uranium.
It's reasonable to expect Iran can produce at least 2 nuclear bombs per year with known existing facilities and likely more per year in the future. A "return" to the nuclear deal won't stop Iran's mullahs. Like sqeezing a balloon, it would just pop out in another place as the Israelis have already discovered in a raid on a hidden facility.
If the US doesn't stop Iran's nuclear bomb development, Israel will have no choice except to destroy Iran's enrichment facilities. For the US, it's a problem "over there"; for Israel, it's a matter of survival.
It's a terrible choice – die or become a pariah.
The centrifuges are spinning.
john smith says
Frightening times Westman, they really are.
James Lincoln says
Westman says,
“The centrifuges are spinning.”
While in the United States, the government is spending precious time talking about impeachment vs censure, etc., of a US President who has already left office.
Westman says
Yes, covid rages, many lockdown families have become bankrupt while congress is driven by corrupt egos that can only think of revenge on Trump and his voters while the media and hollyweird cheers them on. Very banana republic.
Phil Copson says
The freeze on arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE is presumably designed to send a warning that Biden’s puppet-handlers will punish any Arab country moving closer to Israel.
The Left in the Western world – (and fake-conservatives such as Merkel, May, Romney etc) – continually work to endanger Israel even as the Arab world has found the political will to act on the recognition that Israel is a vital regional partner.
spiro says
Isn’t that what Biden wants
Isreal to be pushed into attacking Iran
then he gets the war he wants the same one Trump was able to Not have
We are really in trouble with this guy
Walter Sieruk says
The awful circumstances that lead Israel to have the only option but that she might possible use military force does strongly reflect the terrible foreign Middle East polices of the US bogus President Biden.
gravenimage says
Biden’s policy towards Iran could leave Israel no choice but to use military force
…………..
This may be true if she stands alone.