Editorial: Israel-Iran conflict deepens

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aggressive posturing is worrisome not just for the region but also for the world at large

Despite being virtually isolated in the international arena for its unbridled warmongering, Israel has chosen to persist with its aggressive posturing and open new battle fronts. Its latest missile attack on Iran has only worsened an already precarious security situation in the Middle East, with serious economic implications for the rest of the world. Israeli missiles hit a military air base near the city of Isfahan in central Iran. Though the scale and method of the attack are still unclear, the development amounts to a major escalation in the region which is already under the grip of what appears to be endless violence and suffering. The explosions near Isfahan airport came less than a week after Iran, in a first direct attack, fired more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel. This was in response to an Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria that killed seven Iranian officials on April 1. Since then, Israeli leaders have been threatening to respond to Iran’s strikes, which turned the two countries’ yearslong shadow war into a direct confrontation. Israel is already fighting on two other fronts — against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Both are allies of Iran. The escalation comes more than six months into Israel’s devastating war on the Gaza Strip which has reportedly killed nearly 34,000 people and heightens fears of a spiral of violence across the region. For nearly a week, world leaders have urged Israel and Iran to avoid sparking a broader war in the region.

The latest attack fuelled fears that the conflict could quickly spiral out of control. Some of Iran’s nuclear facilities, which Israel considers an existential threat, are located in the Isfahan province. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected calls for restraint from close allies including the United States. His aggressive posturing and unhinged approach is worrisome, not just for the region, which is already in the throes of the Israel-Hamas war, but also for the world at large. The soaring tensions between Iran and Israel are putting China in a tight spot, as excessive instability or all-out war could threaten interests it has cultivated in both countries. The US and its allies have a crucial role to play in reducing hostilities. The West has been ambiguous about the Israeli strike that killed two Iranian Generals in a consulate building in Damascus on April 1. Such provocative attacks should be denounced categorically, irrespective of whether the perpetrator is a friend or a foe. But western countries are often accused of following double standards in foreign policy. The West’s support for Ukraine, often couched in terms of respect for international law, has been undermined by the same countries’ lacklustre support for Gaza. More often, western countries are concerned with violations of international law only when it serves their interests.

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