West Asia on the boil
Israel claims it attacked the military facilities in Iran only after verifying that Iran was gearing up to enhance its nuclear facilities. Then, it targeted and destroyed them. It now says there would be no stopping until Iran has destroyed its capabilities.
“The Iranian civilian population was asked to vacate Tehran from areas that were dangerous,” said Reuven Azar, Israel’s Ambassador to India. “We will not stop the attacks until we destroy the enemy’s capabilities. We have hit 120 launchers out of the 360 it had. Iran has fired over 400 ballistic missiles and used double the number of drones out of its stockpile. When the Iranians come to the table, they have to accept the terms that are being demanded by the international community”.
Israel says that Iran’s Supreme Leader had been making announcements during the past few months about eliminating Israel. So, until Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes are abandoned, the conflict will continue. “It’s hard to say when this conflict would end,” the ambassador added. However, Indians in Iran have been offered a safe passage.
Israel estimates that it has suffered 24 casualties, while it puts Iran’s losses at 224 civilians. And, these numbers would go up, if the conflict continues.
“The government of India understands why we are doing this,” the ambassador added. “Our two leaders have spoken to each other and so have the national security advisors. We co-operate on security and defence”. Israel’s intension was to target only the military infrastructure, he affirmed.
“We are grateful to the US for what it has been doing for us,” he went on to add. “We are in sync with each other and have coordinated well.” He hoped China and Russia would not offer Iran military assistance. Israel feels its offensive is an act of self-defence and, therefore, not to be condemned.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has cut short his visit to Canada, where he had gone to attend the G7 Summit, as he felt the situation between Israel and Iran needed urgent attention. He said Iran’s supreme leader is in danger of assassination. Trump urged Tehran to end its retaliatory airstrikes on Israel and warned against any possible threat to the well-being of the US personnel in the region.
“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He is an easy target, but is safe there for now”. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has shifted warplanes and an aircraft carrier to the Middle East, as the conflict continued, but the US moves have been defensive in nature.
“We are posturing defensively in the region to reflect our strength but are in pursuit of a peace deal,” said Pete Hegseth, Defence Secretary of the US government.
An act of self-defence
Iran has been criticising Israel for its offensive. “Israel has developed nuclear weapons without considering the feelings of the international community, including IAEA. It is sheer hypocrisy when a non-NPT nuclear entity accuses an NPT member of threatening the global security and attacks its nuclear establishments and assassinates its scientists and university professors," says a statement issued by the Iranian Embassy in Delhi.
The armed forces of Iran are engaged in an act of self-defence and have launched retaliatory operations, targeting only Israel’s military facility, informed an Iranian Embassy communique. However, Israel has targeted Iran’s hospitals, residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, it adds.
Only time will tell when this ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran will come to an end. For now, as tensions mount, people in Tehran are panicking and trying to flee. And, the Supreme Leader continues to be the target of Israel. India is tense about its citizens in both countries and has urged those in Iran to leave, while advising vigilance for those in Israel.