Rogue nation: on Israel's Iran strikes
Israel's strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, at a time when Washington and Tehran were in talks, are brazenly illegal, reckless and dangerous. If there was any possibility of resolving the nuclear issue through dialogue, Israel has practically killed it. That Donald Trump, despite his repeated warnings, failed to stop America's closest ally from launching the attacks — threatening his own diplomatic push — suggests that the U.S. President was either not serious about his words or had limited influence. Israel's overnight attack targeted the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility, ballistic missile factories and the residences of Iran's top nuclear scientists and military chain of command. In retaliation, Iran launched a drone attack, with most shot down. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has promised a harsh response. If Iran launches ballistic missiles, which seems likely, Israel would carry out more attacks, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated. So what possibly awaits West Asia are prolonged attacks and counterattacks, with potential regional spillover effects.
There are legitimate concerns about Iran's nuclear programme. It has enriched uranium to 60% purity, way above the grade for civilian purposes. Israel says Iran was making attempts to build a bomb in secret. While the IAEA says Iran has enough highly enriched uranium to make bombs, there is no conclusive evidence to suggest that Iran has moved in this direction. Tehran once agreed to scuttle its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions as part of the multilateral agreement in 2015, but it was Mr. Trump who sabotaged the agreement. And when Mr. Trump, in his second term, offered dialogue, the Iranians seized it. But what Iran got instead was an attack on its nuclear plants. Israel did this as it knew it could get away with any form of aggression, thanks to the U.S.'s military, political and diplomatic support. Israel has behaved like a rogue nation ever since the October 7 attack by Hamas. It is facing allegations of committing genocide after its destruction in Gaza that has killed over 54,000 Palestinians. It routinely bombs Lebanon despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah. It has carved up more territories in Syria after the collapse of the Assad regime. And now, by attacking Iran, Tel Aviv has pushed West Asia into a deeper security abyss. Israel's unchecked militarism is closing the space for diplomacy in a tumultuous region. If the conflict spills over into the Gulf waters and kingdoms, it would be catastrophic for the global economy, especially for India whose millions of citizens work and live in the region. There must be an immediate, coordinated international effort to rein in the Jewish state and reboot diplomacy to restore stability in West Asia.
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