Prior to Saturday’s retaliation by Iran for Israel’s April 1 embassy bombing in Syria, it thought it had Iran’s measure.
In the past, Iran has repeatedly threatened to wipe out Israel - threats that go a long way to explain Israel’s hubris towards Iran.
‘All talk, no action’, is the belief Israel has long held about Iran. Well, on Saturday, Iran showed its retaliation was more about sending Israel a message than invoking an all-out war.
In a strategic and highly orchestrated move, Iran carried out a missile attack on two Israeli airfields and an intelligence building in Tel Aviv, signalling a dramatic shift in the regional power dynamics, and setting a new precedent for military engagements in the Middle East.
Iran’s strike represents a significant escalation in the longstanding tensions between both countries.
Tensions between Iran and Israel have been simmering for years, characterised by sporadic confrontations along with a war of words that have often threatened to spill over into larger conflict.
Israel, since last year’s October 7 attack by Hamas, has been out of control, behaving with impunity, committing war crime after war crime.
The genocidal terror Israel has reigned on Gaza and the unprovoked bombing of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, on April 1, this month, smacks of a leadership in tatters and desperate to engulf an entire region and draw in the US for its own immediate political survival.
Israel’s bombing was not only the trigger for Iran's missile strike, which left it with no option under Article 51 of the UN Charter to defend itself but also a direct challenge to Iranian sovereignty that demanded a response.
Iran's response wasn’t just an act of retaliation, but a calculated demonstration of its military might.
The attack staged by the Iranians to send a clear message to Israel with the launch of Shaheed drones, was used to saturate and exhaust Israeli air defences.
And the initial attack of drones followed by a volley of cruise missiles that further taxed Israel’s defence systems, set the stage for the main act: a sophisticated barrage of ballistic missiles.
Once the initial barrage of drones and cruise missiles ceased, a three-pronged ballistic attack formed several waves with the first overwhelming defence radars with decoys, the second containing precision-guided warheads designed to evade interception, and the third delivering heavy warheads which caused significant infrastructure damage.
Iran’s targeted attack on two Israeli air force bases and an intelligence building were chosen to avoid mass casualties - demonstrating Iran’s ability to strike precise targets deep within Israeli territory anytime and anywhere it wanted.
America’s decision to attempt to dissuade an immediate Israeli retaliation heralds a notable shift away from its previous traditional role in the region. Its restraint signals a potential recalibration of its policy priorities in the Middle East, influenced by broader strategic objectives like the ongoing negotiations over Iran's nuclear program and the desire to stabilise the region.
The perceived lack of robust US support also has several repercussions for Israel:
Diminished Deterrence Capability: Israel's deterrence relies heavily on the perception of unconditional American support. Any doubt about this might encourage further provocations from adversaries.
Shifting Regional Alliances: Middle Eastern states, reassessing their security strategies, may begin to see Iran as a rising power whose favour might need courting.
Internal Political Pressure: Domestically, this perceived diplomatic setback could fuel criticism of current Israeli leadership, questioning their ability to safeguard national security.
Since Saturday’s retaliation, the aftermath of the strike hasn’t only highlighted the limitations of Israeli military strategy but exposed major vulnerabilities in its once glorified air defence systems, which Israel told the world was impenetrable.
Iran’s ability to penetrate Israel’s ‘Iron Dome’ and breach it at will with drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, has not only demonstrated the country’s overwhelming vulnerability but humiliated it within the defence establishment and among Israelis, who since October 7, have seen their military might defeated and reduced to a sham.
Israel’s sense of invincibility (more lies it has propagated which it has consistently conned the world with) that acted as a deterrent itself, has been undermined, challenging the tenet of its security policies.
For the US, the inability to defend the dog that keeps wagging the US’s tail, from such a sophisticated successful attack has inflicted diplomatic and strategic embarrassment.
So, what must the US do know, to contain Israel?
Last weekend’s strike hasn’t only had significant implications for the US’s image globally – it’s created doubt about and is causing its allies to scrutinise America’s reliability and strength.
America’s hesitancy to support a retaliatory strike further complicates its position, casting doubt among its allies whether the US is committed or can be trusted to come to their defence when needed.
Israel’s strategic position and possibly what it expects from the US around support and expectations have created the realisation it may need to handle regional threats with a reduced expectation of US support, which could push Israel towards more autonomous defence and diplomatic strategies.
However, the problem for Israel is that it is incapable of standing alone in the Middle East because it neither has the military might, capability, nor army to do so.
The weekend attack by Iran doesn’t just redefine its conflict with Israel; it reshapes the entire Middle Eastern geopolitical landscape.
By effectively leveraging military innovation to enforce its red lines, Iran hasn’t only challenged conventional regional power structures but signalled its emergence as a central player in the strategic future of the Middle East.
The long-term implications of the shift are profound, as regional, and global powers are now forced to navigate a landscape where Iranian influence is more pronounced than ever before.
What is now evident is that the era of passive engagements and proxy skirmishes are giving way to a period of more direct and decisive military and diplomatic engagements.
This new reality poses significant challenges and opportunities for all parties - how they respond will determine the stability and balance of power in the Middle East for years to come.
With the dust temporarily settling from the fallout over Iran’s retaliatory strike, and Israel’s humiliating defeat, the international community remains on edge, because if reports are true, that Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Galland has informed US Defence Minister, Lloyd Austin, that Israel “has no choice” but to attack Iran for its strike it launched in response to Israel’s deadly attack on the Iranian embassy in Damascus.
“Gallant told Austin Israel has no choice but to respond to the unprecedented missile and drone attack launched by Iran over the weekend."
If Gallant’s word are true, then the psychotic state of Israel, just got even more psychotic and the time has come for Biden and the US to cut Israel loose and tell it “you won’t be striking bac back and WWWIII ain’t going to happen.”
I love your analysis. George I do.
Israel will do something, no questions asked, but this is not the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
Things have changed, including the weapons system, tactics, and payload delivery. It goes without saying that Iran has also used asymmetric warfare to drain Israel financially - cheap drones vs highly advanced AA missiles and munition.
Israel has been fighting barefoot militia equipped with light infantry weapons in Gaza for seven months, at a cost to Israel and its supporters.
This summer, more than ten major airlines suspended flights to Israel, costing money, the economy, and products interchange.
This is not the mid-1970s, when war lasted only a few days and Israel advertised itself as a powerful force; instead, they are at war on two fronts for seven months, which, in my military experience, is the worst-case situation.
pools thanks Ernesto. - i thought i’d corrected the spell check version. will correct thank you