The Iran-Israel War: A Mirror to Global Failure and Human Fragility : Dr. M. Suresh Babu, President, Praja Science Vedika

The Iran-Israel war, escalating in June 2025 with Israel's airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites and Iran's retaliatory missile attacks, has left a trail of devastation: over 657 deaths in Iran, including 263 civilians, and 24 in Israel, with thousands injured and displaced. Despite global calls for peace, including from the G7 summit and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the conflict persists. Why is stopping war so difficult? The answer lies in deep-seated mistrust, competing interests, domestic politics, and systemic failures, with the Iran-Israel conflict as a stark case study.

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Wars endure because of entrenched mistrust and cycles of retaliation. Israel views Iran's nuclear ambitions as an existential threat, justifying preemptive strikes like “Operation Rising Lion,” which targeted Natanz and Fordow. Iran, in turn, sees these attacks as violations of sovereignty, prompting missile strikes on Israeli cities like Tel Aviv and Haifa. U.S. intelligence, as noted by Tulsi Gabbard in March 2025, found no evidence of Iran building a bomb, yet Israel's fears—amplified by Iran’s support for proxies like Hezbollah—fuel escalation. This tit-for-tat dynamic, rooted in decades of hostility, makes both sides skeptical of diplomacy, as each perceives concessions as weakness.

Domestic Politics Fuel Conflict

Hardline domestic factions often perpetuate war for political gain. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, facing corruption charges and criticism over Gaza, has rallied public support through the war, uniting a polarized nation. In Iran, the assassination of leaders like IRGC commander Hossein Salami has galvanized nationalists, even regime critics, around sovereignty. These domestic pressures—Netanyahu’s need for legitimacy and Iran’s regime survival—make de-escalation politically risky, as hardliners benefit from sustained conflict.

Geopolitical Rivalries and Power Plays