Israel-Iran war: Tel Aviv did not achieve all its aims, says report; did Netanyahu's gamble backfire?
A US-based magazine has described the recent 12-day Iran-Israel war as a "failed gamble" by Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu
.
According to the Foreign Policy magazine, Israel did not achieve its stated objectives in the conflict and shattered the myth that Iran would collapse if attacked by another country.
It further stated that though Netanyahu launched the war aiming to eliminate the Islamic Republic's strategic threat to his country, the conflict exposed the Jewish State's own vulnerabilities. The war resulted in strengthening Iranian nationalism and failed to destroy Tehran's core military or nuclear capabilities.
The magazine also estimated that the war caused serious damage on both sides. For instance, despite Netanyahu's promise to dismantle Iran's missile and nuclear programmes with a hope to bring regime change, Tehran retaliated successfully by firing missiles at Israeli cities and strategic targets.
Also, even after the United States entered the conflict, Iran escalated by attacking Al-Udeid airbase of the US in Qatar. Analysts suggests that this demonstration of force by Iran can help in strengthening its regional and diplomatic position.
Iranian attacks were described as "precise and well-planned". Following Israel's strikes on Iran's South Pars oil refinery, the latter targeted the Haifa refinery in retaliation.
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Similarly, after Israeli attacks on its rival's research centres, Iran hit the Weizmann Institute. The retaliation was intended to demonstrate Iran's deterrence capability. Shortly, attacks on energy infrastructure ceased.
Meanwhile, Israeli attacks targeting residential areas, media outlets, prisons and police stations were seen as a part of broader strategy to cause internal unrest in Iran. Civilian casualties has fuelled perceptions that the war aimed not at 'liberating' Iranians but at destabilizing the country.
Internally, the war had serious social and political repercussion on Iran. However, instead of weakening the government, it became a rallying point that boosted nationalist sentiment. Many Iranians, including members of the younger generation, mobilized in defence of the country against what was widely seen as foreign aggression.
Though fighting stopped, the underlying conflict remains unresolved. The US is no longer demanding that Iran completely shut it's nuclear programme down. Instead, it is willing to ease tensions through talks and economic offers. Iran, in turn, is keeping its nuclear program secretive to avoid any conflict. This practical approach might help calm things down for now, but it doesn't actually solve the main nuclear problem and it could make it even more dangerous in the future.
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