With Iran battered and its proxies weakened, Israel could act alone in its quest to oust the Islamic Republic’s government.
The Israeli government is reportedly unsatisfied with the results of the recent Iran war and is still seeking to topple the country’s Islamic regime, according to a Reuters report.
The 12-day conflict in mid-June saw Israeli strikes, supported by American bombing of key nuclear sites, set back Iran’s nuclear program by years.
However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to be gearing up for another round of conflict with the Islamic Republic, and has told associates that the ultimate Israeli victory will be the ouster of the country’s Islamic government.
Netanyahu is eager to launch another crippling attack on Iran while its air defenses are compromised and its proxies are weakened, according to a source close to the premier.
The Israeli leader believes that “the time to strike harder is now, before Iran regains its footing,” the source told Reuters.
The premier views Iran as “unfinished business” from a “strategic” and “existential” perspective, and believes that the conflict with Tehran is “far from over,” several Middle Eastern officials and diplomats confirmed to the outlet.
According to a source familiar with Netanyahu’s thinking, Israel is interested in continuing to stymie Iran’s nuclear program and any rebuilding of its sites with periodic strikes.
Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute in Washington, told Reuters that while Washington may support Israel with weapons, the U.S. is unlikely to directly engage with Iran again.
Trump’s repeated public statements that Iran’s nuclear program has been “obliterated” signal that he is unwilling to be an active participant in the conflict between Jerusalem and Tehran again, Vatanka said.
The American president has hinted that he could lift economic sanctions on Iran, should Tehran commit to not rebuilding its nuclear program.
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