HAS the twelve-day war between Iran and Israel come to an end? Has the United States saved itself under the guise of a ceasefire instead of suffering defeat? Several questions arise: Has Iran postponed its nuclear program? Has the massacre of Muslims in Gaza ended? Have Israel and India stopped dreaming of Greater Israel and Akhand Bharat? The most pressing question remains: who won and who lost? Israel had two objectives for attacking Iran—to eliminate nuclear facilities and to change the regime—but both the US and Israel faced a severe setback.
How did the ceasefire happen, and why? To whom did the US have to kneel? When Iran decisively turned the tide, Tel Aviv became rubble, missiles struck Ben Gurion Airport, Haifa oil refinery and Galilot intelligence complex. Terrified citizens hid in basements as sirens wailed. Israel’s defence system was in chaos; the Iron Dome was helpless against Iran’s ballistic missiles. Key installations, including the Mossad headquarters, were destroyed. Netanyahu realized the grave mistake of underestimating Iran. As cries from Israel reached the US, America contacted Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The pressure from the Jewish lobby grew so intense that, after 1979, the US directly attacked Iran—unable to withstand Iran’s severe and devastating retaliation.
The pressure from the Jewish lobby on America was so intense that, after 1979, the US directly attacked Iran because Israel could not withstand the Iranian assaults. Perhaps it was beyond their imagination that Iran’s retaliation would be so severe and devastating. While every American President is always ready to obey Israel, Trump’s approach to appeasing the Zionist State by disregarding international laws and regulations is unparalleled. During his first term, Trump recognized occupied Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv, legitimized the Zionist illegal occupation of Syria’s Golan Heights and cancelled the Iran nuclear deal signed under Obama in 2015. All these actions were unlawful and contrary to international laws.
Though it was announced the US would decide within two weeks whether to join the war, just two days later it plunged into conflict. Trump proudly declared that American B-2 bombers had completely destroyed Iran’s nuclear facilities. It should be remembered that both Israel and the US are notorious for breaking promises. In just four months, Trump had already reversed several statements and policies. Bombing Iran’s nuclear centres amounted to ideological deception. Iran responded by targeting the US airbase in Doha and hinting at closing the Strait of Hormuz, shaking global markets.
How long will Netanyahu continue to oppress Gaza to save his power? Therefore, he opened a new front by abandoning the war in Gaza, which lasted nearly two years, but this manoeuvre backfired. Distressed by Iran’s counterattacks, Netanyahu pleaded with Trump. Trump’s plan may have been to attack here and then announce a ceasefire there, as escalating the war was not in their interest. However, Iran delivered a crushing response to their aggression by attacking the US airbase in Qatar, which left Washington in shock. For decades, the United States has made the Middle East its playground. There are 19 US military bases established in the Middle East, with approximately 40,000 to 50,000 military personnel stationed there. Among these, eight permanent military bases are located in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The largest US military base in the Middle East, the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, was established in 1996, housing around 10,000 American troops. This base serves as the forward headquarters for US Central Command (CENTCOM) and has been a key centre for American operations in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.
On the other hand, Israel is distressed about how its air defence system failed. What happened to its Iron Dome and other protective measures? The Iron Dome system is not the only US system established for Israeli air defence; there is also the “THAAD” system, which detects threats from short, medium and long-range ballistic missiles and neutralizes their attacks. Similarly, the air-to-air defence systems, David’s Sling, Arrow-2 and Arrow-3, were designed to prevent unconventional weapons from reaching Israel. Nevertheless, Israel fell before Iran.
Although Israel targeted top Iranian scientists in initial attacks, their martyrdom, while a significant loss, does not mean Iran’s capabilities were buried with them. Israel has already suffered approximately $6.46 billion in losses with total military expenses reaching $67.5 billion. Many companies have closed, tourism and investment have been hit hard and the financial loss has reached 4.9% due to the $200 million daily cost of interceptor missiles against Iranian drones and missiles. David’s Sling costs $700,000 per launch, Arrow-3 around $4 million, and Arrow-2 about $3 million. Repairing damage in Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Be’er Sheva is expected to exceed $400 million. Around 30 Israelis were killed. If Iran is celebrating victory and demanding the lifting of sanctions and continuation of uranium enrichment as conditions for a ceasefire, it is justified—having confronted Israel’s surprise assault and retaliated against the US, an act to be remembered. Though Iran suffered irreparable losses, Ayatollah Khamenei’s ability to keep his people and army united deserves recognition from the entire Pakistani nation. The greatest outcome of the twelve-day war is the exposure of Israel and America’s conspiracy to change Iran’s power under the nuclear pretext. Now, if any regime changes, it may be Netanyahu’s in Israel.
—The writer is Chairman, Tehrik Jawanan Pakistan.
(abdullahhamidgul1@gmail.com)
