Last night, the Middle East witnessed its fiercest clash yet as Israel and Iran traded blows. A daring Israeli operation, orchestrated by Mossad and the Israeli Air Force (IAF), obliterated Iran’s top military commanders, including IRGC leaders, and struck ballistic missile sites and nuclear facilities.
Iran initially retaliated with a barrage of drones, all of which were shot down. It then escalated its attack, firing over 200 ballistic missiles targeting civilians. Several missiles hit the densely populated cities of Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, and Rishon Lezion, killing three civilians and wounding over 75. Unlike Iran’s barrages last year, which inflicted minor damage, this assault overwhelmed Israel’s defences. A lot less help from allies also meant that more missiles hit Israel.
Israel’s response is unrelenting. The IAF is hammering military targets deep inside Iran, aiming for maximum destruction. This is no isolated strike but the opening phase of a campaign to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program and long-range missile capabilities. According to reports in the Israeli media, Israeli assessments indicate the attacks on Natanz and Isfahan have set Tehran’s nuclear ambitions back several years.
But this time, Israel’s ambitions go beyond diminishing Iranian military capabilities. In a defiant address, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Iranians to overthrow their regime. Having helped free Lebanon from Hezbollah’s iron grip, and Syria from President Assad’s murderous regime, Israel hopes to achieve the same in Iran, for the benefit of Israel, the Iranian people, and for greater stability in the Middle East.
For Israel, this is a fight for survival. Iran’s leaders, from Ayatollah Khamenei to IRGC commanders, have repeatedly vowed to annihilate the Jewish state, pursuing nuclear weapons to match their genocidal rhetoric. Years of Israeli covert operations – sabotage, targeted killings – delayed Tehran’s progress, but diplomatic efforts, including faltering US-Iran talks, failed to halt it.
Israel’s strategy extends beyond destruction
As former Mossad chief Meir Dagan once warned, Israel would act only with ‘a sword upon its neck’. That moment has arrived. Israel struck alone, though US President Donald Trump, despite initial reluctance, bolstered defences, and Jordan helped intercept drones. Germany and France, despite reservations over Israel’s conduct in Gaza, have affirmed its right to self-defence.
The UK’s response has been tepid. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s calls for de-escalation and ‘stability’ rang hollow. A nuclear Iran guarantees the opposite. Britain’s hesitancy is perplexing when restraining Tehran’s oppressive regime aligns with the interests of any nation valuing peace.
Israel’s strategy extends beyond destruction. By decapitating Iran’s military and targeting its nuclear infrastructure, Jerusalem hopes to sow discord, sparking a revolution to topple the theocracy. The risks are immense: Iran’s missile barrages could escalate, bringing more casualties and destruction. Prolonged conflict may isolate Israel further than the war in Gaza has, too.
Iran now has a decision to make: continue attacking Israel and risk more destruction, or limp back to talks with President Trump from a position of weakness. Israel has no faith in a nuclear deal, a measure that has been tried, tested and failed. It wants the Americans join the attacks against Iran’s fortified bunkers.
The UK and its allies must back Israel’s resolve, not with platitudes but with unwavering support. They also need to ramp up security for Jewish communities that will undoubtedly be targeted by Iran-backed terrorists. A nuclear Iran threatens global peace: stopping it now is not just Israel’s fight, but the world’s.
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