Mr Abdullah Nisar holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from International Islamic University Islamabad. He is currently working as a freelance journalist.
Although the October 7 Hamas attacks are thought to be the reason behind the recent Iran-Israel escalation, the rivalry between the two countries predates the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Both countries have been vying for regional dominance for decades. Despite Israel’s military supremacy and its assistance from the Western nations, Iran has always been its strong regional contender.
Since 7th October, Israel has been committing the worst-ever war crimes in the history of mankind. More than 34000 Palestinians, including women and children, have been martyred by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Israel’s genocide in Gaza has prompted attacks on Israel by various proxy groups, mainly Hezbollah and Houthis. The apartheid state alleges that Iran supports all the proxy groups working against its illegal settlement in Gaza and the West Bank.
On 1st April 2024, Israel violated Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter by attacking the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria. Analysts and leaders around the world condemned this attack while considering it a violation of Iran and Syria’s sovereignty. Netanyahu wanted to divert global attention from his war crimes in Gaza and his failure to eradicate Hamas and get the Israeli hostages released. Moreover, he also sought to be seen as a victim by bringing Iran into this war.
Leaders around the world requested Iran to show restraint. On its part, Iran also did not seek to be involved in direct war with Israel. However, due to the increasing domestic pressure and vulnerability in the region, Iran had no choice except to retaliate. On 13the April, Iran attacked Israel in a highly calibrated way to avoid further escalation and to save its face at home and in the international community using its right to self-defense under Article 51 of the United Nations.
Israel succeeded in intercepting 99 percent of Iranian drones without any considerable human or property loss. This calibrated and measured retaliation by Iran raised suspicions among many around the world. Some people around the world think of these attacks as a mere show. However, they overlook the fact that the Iranian military is far less powerful than that of Israel. Moreover, Israel also enjoys support from the US and different regional powers which further bolsters Israel’s military supremacy over Iran.
The strikes by Iran against Israel achieved numerous objectives. For one thing, it shunned the belief among the Middle Eastern countries that Israel was an impenetrable power. Moreover, it also exposed the military capabilities of Israel and its allies in the Middle East. In the future, Israel’s rivals, including state and non-state actors, can use this information to launch attacks. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was already facing immense domestic pressure for his failure in Gaza; his image now further shattered domestically after these Iranian attacks.
The Israeli government found itself under unexpected circumstances after these unprecedented attacks. Ostensibly, it did not expect a direct attack from Iran on its mainland. The war cabinet of Israel met hours after the Iranian strikes to formulate its strategy to counterattack Iran. Leaders from all the countries, including US President Joe Biden, requested Israel not to further escalate the situation.
Iran’s retaliatory attacks led to the widespread fear of a broader regional or global war. However, the Israeli leadership was adamant about counterattacking Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, a member of the Israeli war cabinet, iterated multiple times that Israel will counterattack on Iran. On 18th April, Israel allegedly conducted a counterattack on the Iranian city of Isfahan. Just like the Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate, the government did not accept responsibility for this attack. The Iranian government announced that it shot down three drones near Isfahan city.
This failed attack by Israel on Iran met with chagrin from the Israeli citizens and even the government officials. Israel’s Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, described this attack as “lame” in his social media post. Immense pressure from the United States and other Western nations was the reason behind this sham and failed Israeli attack on Iran. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the United States accounts for almost 69 percent of weapon supplies to Israel. Moreover, Israel has been the biggest single supporter of US aid since the end of World War II.
Furthermore, the recent Iranian attacks on Israel exposed that the latter cannot defend itself without US support. Therefore, Israel conducted a sham counterattack on Israel. Although many think of this Israeli attack as merely a farce, Israel hinted through these airstrikes near the nuclear sites in Isfahan that it holds the potential to attack the nuclear facilities in Iran. Despite Israel’s failure to bring Iran into a direct war, it succeeded in diverting global attention from Gaza albeit temporarily.
Moreover, these strikes between Iran and Israel corroborated the apprehensions of the majority of global leaders and analysts that the Israel-Hamas war can expand beyond just Palestine. The recent escalation between Israel and Iran provides the United States and other Israeli allies a chance to revisit their policies and allegiance to Israel. Analysts around the world also call for restraint from Iran and Israel and blame the US for duplicity due to its economic support for Israeli war crimes.
If you want to submit your articles and/or research papers, please check the Submissions page.
The views and opinions expressed in this article/paper are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Paradigm Shift.
