The White House is keen to suggest that Israel’s retaliatory attacks on Iran and its proxies are escalating the Middle East conflict, but that is not the case – it is a reaction to escalation.
In other words, the Biden-Harris administration’s global escalation paralysis is being unfairly projected onto Israel’s aggressive actions in self-defense.
Israel is a victim, not a perpetrator. The Gaza invasion began on October 7th.Hamas terror attacks against IsraelThe airstrikes on Iran took place on April 13th.Missile and drone attacks on IsraelAir strikes on Yemen’s Hodeida portHouthi drone attack on Tel AvivJuly 19th.
None of this was escalatory: Militarily speaking, Israel’s actions were and remain defensive in nature and execution.
Israeli airstrikes against HamasIsmail HaniyaandMohammed Deifand the attack on a senior Hezbollah commanderFouad ShukurandAli Naji Abed Aliteeth,Missile attack kills 12 Druze childrenSo was the Israeli attack on a soccer field in the Golan Heights, as well as attacks on Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) leadership in Tehran, Gaza, southern Lebanon and Beirut.Milad Biddi.
Israel has repeatedly demonstrated that it has the intelligence and operational capabilities to hold Iran and its proxies accountable, despite the Biden administration’s reluctance to do so.
Despite Washington’s interference, Israeli Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu vows to keep fightingHe said Israel was “prepared for any scenario” and had dealt “devastating blows” to its enemies across the Middle East.
Israel demonstrated its large operational reach on July 20. F-15 and F-35 fighter jets attack multiple targetsThe attack took place more than 1,000 miles away in the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, Yemen.Houthi drone attack in Tel AvivThe previous day, an explosion struck a private apartment building near the U.S. Embassy branch, killing one person and injuring eight.
Israeli military spokesman Maj. Gen. Daniel Hagari said the facilities attacked in Yemen were used for military purposes, and the port is a major point of entry for Iranian arms and ammunition for Houthi rebels.
In April, Israel penetrated Iran’s air defenses.Attacks on targets in Iran’s interiornear the cities of Tabriz and Isfahan, andNatanz Nuclear FacilityIn July, Israel killed Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. The exact manner of his death is unclear. One theory is that Mossad hired Iranian agents from the Ansar al-Mahdi security forces toPlant an explosiveAt the guesthouse in Tehran where Haniya was staying.
The assassination attempt was originally scheduled for May, when he was attending the funeral of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. But the large number of people in the building at the time meant the plan was likely to fail, so it was called off. However, operatives are said to have left explosives in case Haniya or other senior officials returned.
Either way, Iran has an internal threat problem.Quds Force“This violation has brought humiliation to everyone,” he said, calling for the people to be fired, arrested and possibly executed.
“By killing Haniyeh, Israel has exposed weaknesses in Iran’s defenses and demonstrated that Iran can exploit them at will. So far, Jerusalem has shown significant restraint, opting to send a message of its capabilities to deter further attacks rather than a direct attack that would risk sparking a broader regional conflict.”
Tehran has vowed immediate revenge. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said:Attacking Israel directlyFor the second time this year, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, after an emergency meeting on Wednesday morning, ordered Iran to launch a direct attack on Israel.
Washington is once again playing catch-up. The Pentagon, caught off guard by Eisenhower’s return to his home port in Virginia,scramble air and naval assetsIn the region.
During a visit to the Philippines last week, the US Secretary of DefenseLloyd Austin“If Israel is attacked, we will certainly cooperate in its defense,” he told reporters. The U.S. is unlikely to back any aggressive action, but it would back Israel if Iran retaliates with more missiles or drones. Netanyahu would be open to that.
Meanwhile, Israel continues to take a top-down approach to neutralizing Iranian proxies. Defeating Hamas in Gaza remains Israel’s primary effort, but a bigger threat lies in Lebanon to the north, as well as Houthi rebels in Yemen to the south. The nexus is Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, which coordinates and supports Iranian proxies.
Systematically removing key leaders of Iranian proxies weakens command and control and harms morale within them, and it may be easier to defeat them than to destroy them, and with less costly consequences in Israeli lives.
Without proxies to protect Tehran, Iran is vulnerable. Israel struck again in the West Bank on Saturday,Haitham BaridiCommander of the Qassam Brigades. A series of attacks near Nablus and Tulkarem killed eight terrorists belonging to other terrorist groups.
Time is not on Iran’s side. Israel is systematically dismantling the IRGC leadership and will soon turn its attention to Iran. These are dangerous times for an increasingly desperate Iran, desperately pursuing nuclear weapons to ensure its survival. Israel will do everything in its power to stop that.
A major retaliatory strike is entirely possible. But can Iran strike a devastating blow against Israel? The answer may be in sight. Late Saturday night,Hezbollah began firing more than 60 rocketsto the north of Israel.
Once again, the Biden-Harris Administration’s paralysis of de-escalation is escalating tensions for our adversaries. We have seen Russia do this again in Ukraine, and now Iran and its proxies are doing the same in the Middle East.
There is no limit to Israel’s escalation paradigm. It is simply a matter of survival. Israel will continue to escalate tensions with Iran, but the Biden-Harris administration will observe and, with the November elections in mind, oppose it.
Colonel Jonathan Sweet (Ret.)He served as a military intelligence officer for 30 years and led U.S. European Command’s Intelligence Division from 2012 to 2014. Mark TothHe writes about national security and foreign policy.
