The Third Eye: A cause for concern in the Middle East

ALTHOUGH a triangular contest between Iran, Israel and the Arab states of the Gulfprincipally Saudi Arabia and UAEmarked the scene in the Middle East, it is the military confrontation between Iran and Israel that is currently the cause of a crisis in the region.

- DC PATHAK

The two Arab states have been traditional allies of the US and have even been persuaded by the latter to consider signing peace pacts with Israel, termed the Abraham Accords.

The US and Israel continue to identify themselves with each other completely, and the US President Donald Trump was upholding Israel's total opposition to the Iranian nuclear programme and insisting on Iran signing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) for any reconsideration of sanctions earlier imposed on it (Iran).

Iran had claimed that its nuclear programme was only for energy generation, but Israel never accepted the plea.

The JCPOA called for further monitoring and verification provisions, and granting of increased access to IAEA inspectors to information and sites.

President Trump decided to mount "high pressure" on a reluctant Iran to make it fall in line with the US.

Apparently encouraged by the US support, Israel attacked Iran on June 13.

Iran retaliated by launching an attack on Israel with hypersonic missiles, many of which could get through the latter's Iron Dome air defence.

On June 21, the US bombed three nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, and claimed it had destroyed them. There was Israel-US intelligence coordination in the attack that was code-named 'Midnight Hammer'. Seven B2 stealth bombers were used for Fordow and Natanz, and 14 bunker-buster bombs were dropped on the nuclear facilities there the one at Fordow was buried deep below a mountain on the outskirts of Tehran. At the same time, two dozen cruise missiles were fired at Isphahan from a submarine.

Responding to the US claim of having destroyed the nuclear plants, Iran acknowledged damage but contended that the sites had already been discarded and their equipment moved elsewhere.

President Trump warned Iran that "future attacks would be far deadlier if it did not sign the nuclear deal".