Israel’s unprovoked aggression against Iran has not only plunged West Asia into its gravest regional crisis since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war but also pushed the Jewish nation into an unprecedented security calamity. If Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expected the June 13 attack on Iran, hitting its nuclear facilities and assassinating its top generals and nuclear scientists, to cripple Tehran — like how Israel destroyed the Egyptian air force on June 5, 1967 during the Six-Day War — he appears to have made a mistake. Iran, in a swift and forceful response, rained ballistic missiles on Israeli cities. Until Monday morning, it had fired over 370 missiles, hitting an oil refinery in Haifa, a top research institute in Rehovot near Tel Aviv and even residential areas. At least 24 Israelis have been killed and over 500 wounded. While Israel has established air supremacy in Iran, it has not managed to destroy Iran’s nuclear programme, which is dispersed and buried across the country. Israel keeps targeting Iran’s military and intelligence leadership, with the aim of weakening the government. On Sunday, Mr. Netanyahu said regime change in Iran could be one of the outcomes of Israel’s attack. But every time Israel hits Iran, Tehran fires dozens of ballistic missiles back. While Israel is trying to take escalation dominance, Iran is trying to establish deterrence through offence. The result is an escalation spiral.
Mr. Netanyahu should have carefully considered the consequences and avoided launching this reckless, illegal war. The Israeli attack came just days before the United States and Iran were to hold the sixth round of nuclear talks. The war has practically killed the possibility of a diplomatic solution to the nuclear crisis. This also raises questions about Israel’s endgame. If Israel is not able to completely dismantle Iran’s nuclear programme, it may, as Mr. Netanyahu has suggested, push for a state collapse or regime change in Tehran. Nobody knows what comes next. U.S. President Donald Trump has said that he is still open to a deal with Iran. But Mr. Trump wants Tehran to completely abandon its nuclear enrichment programme, which Iranian leaders are not ready to do — not yet. This deadlock only makes the conflict more dangerous. If the war drags on, the risk of U.S. involvement increases. And If Iran retaliates by bombing American bases in the Persian Gulf, shutting down the Strait of Hormuz or targeting tankers in the Gulf of Oman, it could trigger a security and economic catastrophe. This is another reason why a ceasefire between Iran and Israel is urgently needed. Global powers, particularly the U.S., Israel’s chief patron, and Russia, an Iranian ally, must play a more proactive role in mediation and peacemaking. If Mr. Trump is really a man of peace, as he claims to be, this is his moment to take the lead in restoring order in West Asia.
Published – June 17, 2025 12:20 am IST