EN|FR|RU
Follow us on:

The Middle East is once again in turmoil

Viktor Mikhin, July 12

The Middle East is once again in turmoil. Israel

On the eve of military exercises simulating war with Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brazenly and bluntly said: “I have a clear message for Iran and the international community: Israel will do everything it has to do to prevent Iran from building a nuclear bomb.” Apparently, Tel Aviv thinks that it has completely replaced the UN and is solving complex political issues on its own. However, both Israelis and the West in general are silent about the fact that Israel has long had nuclear weapons and the means of their delivery. The principles of democracy and freedom of the press must have completely blocked the eyes and mouths of “democratic” Western scribes.

It should be said that much of the recent Israeli rhetoric against Tehran has been a series of heightened concerns about the development of Iran’s peaceful nuclear program and threats of unilateral action if its main ally, the United States, denies a military strike against Tehran and does not engage in it. Israel’s concern is heightened by Tehran’s recent flurry of diplomatic activity, especially in light of the agreement to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia mediated by China, and close ties with Russia. In addition, since the beginning of this year, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has made state visits and signed various multilateral cooperation agreements with China, Syria, Indonesia, and three South American countries that are under harsh and illegal US sanctions: Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian received his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud during the latter’s landmark visit to Tehran and made a three-day tour of the Persian Gulf, where he met with his counterparts in Qatar, Kuwait and Oman. Oman is also an active mediator in indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States. Furthermore, the United States and Iran are said to have begun talks on setting constraints on Tehran’s nuclear program, releasing detained Americans, and unfreezing some Iranian assets.

All this makes Netanyahu nervous, forcing him to make repeated recent warnings to Washington that Israel will not be bound by any agreement to attack Iran. Most recently he emphasized: “Our position is clear: Israel will not be bound by any agreement… and will continue to defend itself.” And there is some reason for the fear and even hysteria of the Israeli prime minister. The political landscape has now begun to change a bit, as Iran seems to be coming out of isolation and employing a selective strategy of openness by seeking potential partnerships with countries that hold similar “anti-Western” views. In order to counter these initiatives, the Israelis seem to hope to use the future détente with Saudi Arabia to negotiate normalization agreements, as well as with other influential regional players, such as Egypt and the UAE, with whom they already have similar agreements.

All of these developments, in addition to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) report earlier this year of discovery in Iran of uranium enriched to 84 percent, which is very close to the required weapons-grade level of 90 percent, make Israel increasingly feel threatened by Iran. Not surprisingly, in the course of these events Netanyahu was forced to declare: “The reality in our region is changing rapidly. We are not stagnant. We are adjusting our military doctrine and our options according to these changes, according to our goals, which are not changing.” Classically, everything flows – everything changes, and only Bibi Netanyahu remains stuck in his backward thinking and is not willing to change it for peace talks, which could improve the situation in the entire Middle East.

Israel takes the Iranian threat very seriously and regards it as a “possible existential threat.” This is the main very dangerous regional threat that Israel and its leadership currently face. There is political consensus and determination in the country, notes World Israel News, about the need to eliminate this threat, even though different political leaders may have different ideas about what course of action should be taken. Henri Barkey, senior fellow for Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, agrees: “Israel’s deep psychological fear of the Iranian bomb should not be underestimated; it is an existential fear, no doubt. This is one of the issues on which all parties in Israel agree.”

Israel’s perception of the threat from Iran seems to be at an all-time high, given the current geopolitical headwinds, and what may seem like public posturing – to some extent, analysts say, could potentially materialize into action. “Israel will do everything in its power to disrupt Iran’s activities in all areas, from economics to politics to infrastructure,” Henri Barkey said clearly and concisely. The world has already seen the terrible consequences of similar US and NATO activities in Libya, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq or Yemen. These countries, bombed, conquered, robbed, humiliated by the West, have sunk to the bottom of modern life, and their people are dragging out a miserable existence. This is the essence of the American-style “democracy.” And this is exactly the way the Israeli government is going to act, and it has threatened to act alone against Iran if it comes to a confrontation. Bibi Netanyahu recently said: “We are confident that we can handle any threat on our own.”

However, many analysts argue, and with good reason, that a unilateral military strike is unlikely at this time. “Israel stresses its ability to act alone against Iran,” the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram noted, “but over the years it has clearly preferred to coordinate with the United States and other allies on security issues, including the Iranian dossier.” And the well-informed newspaper goes on to note that Israel’s main goal is to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear state and to deny it the possibility of becoming one quickly once it decides to do so. Israel is likely to continue to take various actions to advance its interests and demonstrate its serious intentions, although “a military strike does not appear to be the desired course of action by Israel.”

Military analysts believe that it is very difficult to imagine Israel acting alone in a major strike. This would require at least logistical and intelligence support from the United States. Support would also be needed in case something went wrong. “You could say,” says the Saudi newspaper Arab News, “that an Israeli major strike on Iran would probably cause a tsunami of negative consequences around the world, a rise in the price of oil, the international economy, something no one wants to see.”

As for the likelihood of US involvement in an Israeli military strike against Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, it depends on several key factors. William Wexler, senior director of the Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs at the Atlantic Council (Lebanon), noted that if the Israeli leadership determines that a military strike is the only option to prevent or delay Iran’s obtaining nuclear weapons and believes that they have the necessary capabilities to do so unilaterally, without direct provocation from Iran and over the objections of the United States, then US involvement becomes unlikely. However, if any of these circumstances are not applicable, for example, if there has been a direct action by Iran that caused an Israeli response, or if there has been an alignment with American wishes, then the likelihood of US involvement increases.

Thus, the situation in the Middle East remains very tense, and only peaceful negotiations between all interested parties can resolve it, as Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated. Among other things, the problem of the Arab people of Palestine and the creation of a state for the Palestinians must be resolved.

 

Viktor Mikhin, corresponding member of RANS, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.

More on this topic
The withdrawal of Turkish troops from Syria is inevitable, but when and on what terms?
Israel: yet another bloody crime from Netanyahu
From Leading to Leeching: How the Mighty US Empire is falling
Latest Lebanon Pager Terrorist Attack Predictable, Preventable
US ghostly hopes for the Middle East