Netanyahu's Imposed War

A new era of hegemony has begun in the Middle East as Israel has attacked Iran to assert the Zionist state as the pre-eminent military and political power in the region

- Seema Guha

FOR over two decades, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the world about Iran's nuclear ambitions and portrayed it as an existential threat to Israel and a menace to world peace. Now Netanyahu has finally acted on his strategic obsession with a devastating assault that has battered Iran and wiped out much of its military leadership.

But is Iran's nuclear programme just an excuse to reshape the power balance in West Asia, with the tacit approval of Washington and perhaps with the direct involvement of the US? The situation remains fluid at the time of writing, and the region is on the brink of unprecedented, perhaps catastrophic, changes that would transform West Asia.

US President Donald Trump is weighing his options. He is keeping the world, and especially Iran, on edge. In fact, US aircraft carriers and heavy military assets have been repositioned in the Eastern Mediterranean—unmistakable signs of preparation are visible. In typical Trump style, the US President is orchestrating a high-stakes spectacle, using suspense as a tool of pressure. But while he may be hoping to force Iran back to the negotiating table, Tehran—proud and defiant—has made it clear that it will not talk under the pressure of attacks, threats and gunships.

The success of Israel's military campaign in the last five days has led to a buzz about a regime change and the taking out of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader. Trump demanded on social media that Iran “surrender unconditionally” and that the US knows Khamenei's location. The Ayatollah’s cryptic reply was: “the battle begins”.