Thursday, May 25, 2023

Mounting tensions between Israel, Iran herald possible military showdown

Tensions between Iran and Israel soared to unprecedented heights on Tuesday as both nations traded threats. Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, the Israeli military’s chief of staff, stated on Tuesday that if Iran continues to develop its nuclear program, Israel would be left with no choice but to stage a pre-emptive attack.

“Iran has progressed in recent years with enriching uranium more than ever before,” he said. “We are looking closely at the various arenas that are part of the path to nuclear capabilities. There are negative potential trends on the horizon that could lead to [us] acting. We have the capabilities.”

Halevi further accused Iran of being involved in “everything around us and with everyone who is against us,” including strategy, intelligence, and funding. “We have the capability to strike Iran. We are not aloof to what Iran is trying to do around us. Iran also cannot be aloof to what we can do against it.”


Meanwhile, Prof. Mohammad Marandi, head of the North American Studies Department at the University of Tehran, is in Indonesia as part of the delegation accompanying President Ebrahim Raisi on his two-day visit to the Asian country. “The Israeli regime is growing more isolated. Iran’s relations with Saudi Arabia and other Arab governments in the Persian Gulf have evolved, Iran’s relations with Asia powers are growing, and the Iranian president is currently visiting Indonesia,” says Marandi.

Israel alleges that Iran is forming a united front and is preparing for a military confrontation on several fronts. “It’s natural for the region to be united against apartheid and ethnic cleansing,” Marandi told The Media Line. READ MORE