By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
IndebtaIndebta
  • Home
  • News
  • Banking
  • Credit Cards
  • Loans
  • Mortgage
  • Investing
  • Markets
    • Stocks
    • Commodities
    • Crypto
    • Forex
  • Videos
  • More
    • Finance
    • Dept Management
    • Small Business
Notification Show More
Aa
IndebtaIndebta
Aa
  • Banking
  • Credit Cards
  • Loans
  • Dept Management
  • Mortgage
  • Markets
  • Investing
  • Small Business
  • Videos
  • Home
  • News
  • Banking
  • Credit Cards
  • Loans
  • Mortgage
  • Investing
  • Markets
    • Stocks
    • Commodities
    • Crypto
    • Forex
  • Videos
  • More
    • Finance
    • Dept Management
    • Small Business
Follow US
Indebta > News > Israel is achieving its goals in Iran — so far
News

Israel is achieving its goals in Iran — so far

News Room
Last updated: 2025/06/15 at 8:21 AM
By News Room
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE

Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free

Your guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the world

The author is former chief of MI6 and UK ambassador to the UN

As the US leans out of the Middle East, the countries of the region are addressing their security concerns on their own. Israel’s assault on Iran is the latest example.

It was a bold statement of Israeli power. The intelligence coverage was extraordinary. Israel pinpointed Iranian commanders in their homes and killed them, some with drone strikes launched from inside Iran — an echo of what Ukraine recently achieved inside Russia.

How far the nuclear programme has been set back won’t be clear for a while. Having struck once, the Israelis may have to go back regularly to “mow the grass” if the Iranians make a dash for nuclear weapons. The strikes have not ended and escalating them to knock out oil infrastructure carries wider risks of Iranian retaliation in the Gulf. But so far it looks like Israel is achieving its goals.

Iranian leaders have only themselves to blame for their predicament. They have persisted with a nuclear programme that could only have a military purpose. They have armed and funded militias to cause problems for their enemies, and their lack of control over these groups led to the October 7 2023 Hamas assault which has rebounded against Iran’s interests.

All this at the cost of Iran’s own development. Its proud, well-educated and entrepreneurial people are frustrated at how far they have fallen behind their Arab neighbours. For Iranians, the Islamic Revolution has been a catastrophic failure.

Where does this go now? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would like the Iranian regime to be toppled. It is certainly brittle and deeply unpopular, so the possibility cannot be ruled out. But when a country is attacked from outside, the population often rallies around the flag and opposition groups are unable to exploit a moment of regime weakness. The real threat to the regime is internal, on the streets of Iran’s cities. Calls by an Israeli leader for the Iranian people to rise up have little appeal when those same people are being bombed.

Iran’s authoritarian friends, Russia and China, are unlikely to prop up the regime if it does start to wobble. Russia did so in Syria in 2015 and that delayed the collapse of Assad rule by a decade. But even if it wanted to, Moscow probably lacks the capacity to intervene now, given how stretched it is in Ukraine. And China is a fair-weather friend, buying Iran’s oil and promising investment but with no interest in being drawn into a security role in a far-off country, beyond providing surveillance technology.

If the Islamic regime does fall at some point, then we shouldn’t expect a liberal pro-western government to emerge. Without a well-armed opposition inside the country, elements of the armed forces are best-placed to emerge on top in any fight for power. They would learn the lessons of past failures and perhaps pose less of a threat abroad, but what limited freedoms exist in Iran might be closed further.

The alternative is fragmentation, as happened in Libya, Syria, Yemen and Somalia. In Iran, such a process would be on a much bigger scale as Kurds, Arabs, Baluch, even the well-integrated Azeris fall back on ethnic nationalism in a country where Persians form barely a majority of the population. One lesson from recent decades is that the fall of repressive regimes doesn’t always lead to a better outcome as there is no one to hold to account and terrorist groups will thrive in ungoverned space. Iraq has finally emerged as a better place, but it has taken 20 years since Saddam Hussein was ousted, even with the country’s huge oil wealth.

What does the Israeli strike say about American power? Personal relations between Netanyahu and President Donald Trump are clearly not good. Trump wants to be a peacemaker and to cut deals. Netanyahu is no help on either front. But the strength of American support for Israel came through again as Trump’s appeal to allow time for a negotiated agreement with Tehran was brushed aside by Netanyahu. The Israelis feared a half-baked US-Iran deal, and their military response may have helped Trump avoid that dilemma.

The Saudis and other Gulf countries will register this. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his fellow rulers will continue to court Trump without relying on him heavily. It’s not just that Trump is unreliable, it’s also that America has bigger fish to fry with China. The leaning out of Middle East security that began under Obama will continue under Trump and his successors too. The region will fill the gap on its own.

Read the full article here

News Room June 15, 2025 June 15, 2025
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Copy Link Print
Leave a comment Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Finance Weekly Newsletter

Join now for the latest news, tips, and analysis about personal finance, credit cards, dept management, and many more from our experts.
Join Now
Oil price expected to surge after US strikes Iran

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects…

Iran’s supreme leader faces his defining moment

For decades Iran’s supreme leader has sought to balance his ideological hostility…

The perils of war with Iran

Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for freeYour guide to what Trump’s…

Israel weighs next phase of Iran campaign after US strikes

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects…

British Airways and Singapore Airlines cancel Dubai flights after US bombs Iran

Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the Airlines myFT Digest…

- Advertisement -
Ad imageAd image

You Might Also Like

News

Oil price expected to surge after US strikes Iran

By News Room
News

Iran’s supreme leader faces his defining moment

By News Room
News

The perils of war with Iran

By News Room
News

Israel weighs next phase of Iran campaign after US strikes

By News Room
News

British Airways and Singapore Airlines cancel Dubai flights after US bombs Iran

By News Room
News

In maps: Iran’s three nuclear sites targeted by US bombers

By News Room
News

‘Heart and soul of FedEx’ Fred Smith dies

By News Room
News

Spac revival puts spring in step of investors in New York

By News Room
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Youtube Instagram
Company
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Press Release
  • Contact
  • Advertisement
More Info
  • Newsletter
  • Market Data
  • Credit Cards
  • Videos

Sign Up For Free

Subscribe to our newsletter and don't miss out on our programs, webinars and trainings.

I have read and agree to the terms & conditions
Join Community

2023 © Indepta.com. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?