{"id":2803,"date":"2025-07-12T12:59:41","date_gmt":"2025-07-12T11:59:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cigacriticalvoices.com\/?p=2803"},"modified":"2025-07-12T13:03:30","modified_gmt":"2025-07-12T12:03:30","slug":"why-netanyahu-is-frantically-trying-to-pull-the-us-into-israels-war-on-iran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cigacriticalvoices.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/12\/why-netanyahu-is-frantically-trying-to-pull-the-us-into-israels-war-on-iran\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Netanyahu Is Frantically Trying to Pull the US Into Israel&#8217;s War on Iran"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"2803\" class=\"elementor elementor-2803\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-a29d319 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"a29d319\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-8df11da\" data-id=\"8df11da\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a9c71be elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a9c71be\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.14.0 - 18-06-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:right;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p><em>Israel launched a decapitation strike to spark regime change in Iran and draw in the US &#8211; but Tehran&#8217;s unprecedented response has left it facing strategic defeat<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-1555aec elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"1555aec\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-324cba5\" data-id=\"324cba5\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-049569c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"049569c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>By: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/cigacriticalvoices.com\/index.php\/professor-sami-al-arian\/\"><strong>Prof<\/strong><strong>. Sami A. Al-Arian<\/strong><\/a><\/p><p><strong>Voices\/ <\/strong><strong>July<\/strong> <strong>2025<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-91328d2 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"91328d2\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-804fe6f\" data-id=\"804fe6f\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-dbc1e7f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"dbc1e7f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>On Friday, 13 June 2025,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/countries\/israel\">Israel<\/a>\u00a0launched an unprovoked military attack on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/countries\/iran\">Iran<\/a>, striking more than 100 targets &#8211; including military bases, nuclear facilities and senior leadership.<\/p><p>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/topics\/israel-attacks-iran\">attack<\/a>,\u00a0which has heightened fears of a wider regional war,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/iranian-commanders-nuclear-scientists-killed-israeli-strikes-2025-06-13\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">killed<\/a>\u00a0Iran&#8217;s military chief of staff, the head of the Revolutionary Guard, and several members of its nuclear programme &#8211; just two days before the sixth round of US-Iran nuclear talks was set to resume.<\/p><p>Since then, a total of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ajmubasher\/status\/1934266159076974695\">14 nuclear scientists<\/a>\u00a0have reportedly been assassinated in air strikes and car bombings.<\/p><p>Tehran had been working to reaffirm its commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), allowing peaceful uranium enrichment under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).<\/p><p>Israel, however, has long opposed not only potential weaponisation but also any form of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/topics\/iran-nuclear\">nuclear<\/a>\u00a0development in Iran.<\/p><p>It seeks to dismantle the programme entirely, denying Iran access to nuclear energy altogether, even as it has possessed\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/video\/israels-nuclear-weapons-what-you-need-know\">nuclear weapons<\/a>\u00a0since the late 1960s, remains outside the NPT and has never officially declared its arsenal.<\/p><p>This latest assault follows years of destabilisation efforts, including covert\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/news\/iran-accuses-israel-nuclear-terrorism-incident-revenge\">sabotage<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/news\/eight-other-times-israel-was-accused-assassinations-iran\">assassinations<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2010\/9\/24\/cyber-attack-targeted-iran\">violations<\/a>\u00a0of Iranian sovereignty &#8211; all met with silence from the international community.<\/p><p>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/countries\/us\">United States<\/a>, for its part, had advance knowledge of the strike. While White House officials have denied direct involvement, senior congressional leaders were\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2025\/06\/13\/trump-briefings-congress-israel-iran\">briefed<\/a>\u00a0in advance &#8211;\u00a0and President Donald Trump publicly praised the strikes as &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/06\/13\/trump-israel-attacks-praise-interviews-00405303\">successful<\/a>&#8221; and said the US &#8220;knew everything&#8221; about the operation.<\/p><p>Having long sought to provoke a large-scale confrontation, Israel is now exploiting the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/opinion\/israel-all-those-who-stood-by-share-blame-starving-gaza\">impunity<\/a>\u00a0granted by western powers amid its genocidal\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/topics\/israel-war-gaza\">war on Gaza<\/a>\u00a0and broader\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/opinion\/more-israel-kills-more-west-portrays-it-victim\">regional aggression<\/a>\u00a0to escalate its violent campaign even further.<\/p><p>Israeli officials who have claimed\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/netanyahu-claims-credit-for-starting-historic-process-that-led-to-syrian-regimes-fall\/\">credit<\/a>\u00a0for regime change in Syria are now openly\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/liveblog_entry\/assassinating-khamenei-not-off-limits-israeli-official-tells-the-wall-street-journal\/\">threatening<\/a>\u00a0to assassinate Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and seeking to topple the Iranian government.<\/p><p>But to destroy Iran&#8217;s fortified nuclear sites and overthrow its leadership, Israel requires full\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2025\/06\/14\/israel-iran-war-us-nuclear-program-trump\">US military support<\/a>. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&#8217;s strategy is to provoke a wider conflict &#8211; one that forces Washington into direct war with Iran.<\/p><p>That gambit, driven by Israel&#8217;s hegemonic ambition to remain the region&#8217;s sole nuclear power, may yet backfire &#8211; ending in strategic failure and dragging the US once more into a costly and unwinnable war in the Middle East.<\/p><h3><strong>Securing the <\/strong><strong>R<\/strong><strong>ealm<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong><\/h3><p>Since the 1979\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/opinion\/how-has-iranian-revolution-reshaped-middle-east\">Iranian revolution<\/a>, the US and Israel have regarded the Islamic Republic of Iran as a major threat &#8211; an obstacle to US hegemony and Israeli domination in the Middle East.<\/p><p>A key US strategy for curbing emerging regional powers has been to create counterbalances in the region.<\/p><p>This policy explains America&#8217;s tacit support for\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/countries\/iraq\">Iraq<\/a>&#8216;s invasion of Iran in 1980, which it fuelled for eight years before the war ended inconclusively in 1988.<\/p><p>When Saddam Hussein invaded\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/countries\/kuwait\">Kuwait<\/a>\u00a0in 1990, the US\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/clinton.presidentiallibraries.us\/items\/show\/48919\">pivoted<\/a>\u00a0to a dual containment policy targeting both Iran and Iraq, while simultaneously expanding its military footprint in the region.<\/p><p>After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the US emerged as the sole global superpower &#8211; a unipolar moment. This was seen by pro-Israel political forces, both in the US and in Israel, as a golden opportunity to extend American primacy in a way that furthered Israeli regional dominance.<\/p><p>In May 1996, Netanyahu was elected as the Israeli prime minister at a time when pro-Israel policymakers were already gaining significant influence within the Clinton administration.<\/p><p>By the end of that year, a strategic\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mideastweb.org\/Middle-East-Encyclopedia\/clean_break.htm\">blueprint<\/a>\u00a0titled &#8220;A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm&#8221; was published. The &#8220;realm&#8221; in question was not the US, but Israel.<\/p><p>General Wesley Clark, the former Nato Supreme Allied Commander,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2003\/9\/22\/us-plans-to-attack-seven-muslim-states\">revealed<\/a>\u00a0in 2003 that shortly after the 11 September 2001 attacks, neoconservatives in the Bush administration had crafted a sweeping plan to remake the Middle East in Israel&#8217;s favour.<\/p><p>After toppling the Taliban in Afghanistan, the plan was to invade and dismantle seven Muslim-majority countries: Iraq,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/countries\/lebanon\">Lebanon<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/countries\/syria\">Syria<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/countries\/libya\">Libya<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/countries\/sudan\">Sudan<\/a>, Somalia &#8211; and ultimately Iran.<\/p><p>In\u00a0<em>The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy<\/em>, political scientists John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/isbn_9780374177720\">argued<\/a>\u00a0convincingly that pro-Israel forces in the US played a central role in driving the invasion of Iraq.<\/p><p>Since then, the US and Israel have worked to weaken or remove any government in the region not aligned with their interests, many of them the very countries listed by Clark.<\/p><p>Among these, Iran has always posed the most difficult challenge.<\/p><p>The Islamic Republic&#8217;s revolutionary foundation makes it uniquely resistant to external pressure and regime change, despite decades-long\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/opinion\/iran-trump-return-maximum-pressure-doomed-fail-again-why\">sanctions<\/a>, isolation and western destabilisation campaigns.<\/p><h3><strong>The <\/strong><strong>N<\/strong><strong>uclear <\/strong><strong>P<\/strong><strong>retext<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong><\/h3><p>For 25 years, Netanyahu has relentlessly\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/International\/iran-nukes-spring-warns-netanyahu\/story?id=17340927\">warned<\/a>\u00a0that Iran was just &#8220;weeks away&#8221; from developing a nuclear bomb.<\/p><p>However, intelligence assessments, including those from the IAEA, have consistently found\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/investigations\/no-evidence-iran-rushing-build-nuclear-weapon-cia-director-says-rcna174004\">no evidence<\/a>\u00a0that Iran was pursuing nuclear weapons.<\/p><p>In 2015, the US and other permanent members of the Security Council, as well as\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/countries\/germany\">Germany<\/a>, reached a landmark agreement with Iran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/news\/iran-nuclear-deal-jcpoa-explained\">JCPOA<\/a>).<\/p><p>It allowed Iran to enrich uranium under strict international oversight, within the framework of the NPT. However, Netanyahu and his allies in the US Congress\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/news\/daily-comment\/why-netanyahu-really-wanted-trump-to-scuttle-the-iran-deal\">launched<\/a>\u00a0a campaign to kill the deal.<\/p><p>In 2018, they succeeded in convincing Trump to withdraw from the JCPOA.<\/p><p>Since then, both the Trump and Biden administrations have pursued a &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/news\/trump-restores-maximum-pressure-willing-talk-iranian-president\">maximum pressure<\/a>&#8221; strategy &#8211; imposing harsh sanctions, financial restrictions and political isolation in an effort to coerce Iran into relinquishing its right to enrich uranium.<\/p><p>But the policy failed. Iran accelerated its enrichment efforts, raising its uranium purity from 3.75 percent to 60 percent and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2025\/5\/31\/iran-increases-stockpile-of-enriched-uranium-by-50-percent-iaea-says\">amassing<\/a>\u00a0over 400kg of enriched uranium.<\/p><p>When Trump returned to office in January 2025, he was eager to negotiate a new deal that would dismantle Iran&#8217;s enrichment capability.<\/p><p>On the campaign trail, he\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cato.org\/commentary\/will-donald-trump-say-no-war-iran\">promised<\/a>\u00a0to avoid new wars and end America&#8217;s military entanglements. However, he soon found himself facing a defiant and extremist Israeli government that had radically revised its military doctrine following the Hamas-led Toufan Al-Aqsa\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/big-story\/gaza-israel-7-october-destroyed-myth-military-invincibility\">attack<\/a>\u00a0on 7 October 2023.<\/p><p>That attack deeply shook Israeli society, which has long relied on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inss.org.il\/he\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/systemfiles\/INSSMemo155.03.1.Golov.ENG.pdf\">deterrence<\/a>\u00a0as the most critical pillar of its military doctrine. However, a major consequence of the events at Toufan Al-Aqsa has been the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/insidestory.org.au\/how-israels-deterrence-policy-came-undone\/\">undermining<\/a>\u00a0of this foundational element.<\/p><p>To restore deterrence against the Palestinian resistance, the Zionist regime embarked on a genocidal campaign in Gaza that has already spanned more than 600 days.<\/p><p>Meanwhile, Israel, which possesses\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thebulletin.org\/2025\/03\/the-us-hypocrisy-about-israels-nuclear-weapons-must-stop\/\">nuclear weapons<\/a>, has long opposed any regional rival developing even peaceful nuclear capabilities.<\/p><p>It\u00a0bombed nuclear reactors in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu\/vjtl\/vol15\/iss3\/1\/\">Iraq<\/a>\u00a0in 1981 and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2018\/mar\/21\/israel-admits-it-carried-out-2007-airstrike-on-syrian-nuclear-reactor\">Syria<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a02007 with total impunity. Despite these precedents, it has so far failed to destroy Iran&#8217;s far more advanced and dispersed nuclear infrastructure &#8211; some of which is buried deep in mountains and highly fortified.<\/p><h3><strong>Strategic <\/strong><strong>M<\/strong><strong>iscalculation<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong><\/h3><p>In April 2025, Trump\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2025\/06\/13\/trump-iran-nuclear-deal-israel-attack\">issued<\/a>\u00a0a 60-day ultimatum to Iran to accept a deal that would effectively end its nuclear enrichment capability.<\/p><p>After five rounds of talks, a sixth round was scheduled for 15 June. However, Trump, admittedly, was complicit and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.counterfire.org\/article\/this-is-trumps-war\/\">engaged<\/a>\u00a0in a deceptive campaign to allow Israel to wage its war and bomb nuclear sites two days before their scheduled meeting.<\/p><p>The deception worked.\u00a0Israel carried out a massive decapitation strike on 13 June, assassinating over 20 senior Iranian military figures.<\/p><p>The goal was not only to derail the talks and destroy Iran&#8217;s mature nuclear programme, but to cripple Iran&#8217;s military leadership and nuclear experts &#8211; in the hope of sparking regime change.<\/p><p>As Netanyahu rejoiced and Israelis gloated, Trump tried to take some credit as many pundits and politicians were revelling and writing the Islamic Republic&#8217;s obituary.<\/p><p>But as Mark Twain once quipped: &#8220;The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.&#8221;<br \/><br \/>History teaches us that it is not who fires the first shot that wins, but the one who fires the last.<\/p><p>If one were to determine the victors during the following dates in these conflicts &#8211; such as the Iraq-Iran war in October 1980, the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in August 1982, or the American invasions of Afghanistan in October 2001 and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/topics\/iraq-war\">Iraq in March 2003<\/a>\u00a0&#8211; they\u00a0would have wrongly predicted the outcome in every case.<\/p><p>However, in the current conflict, Iran responded swiftly and forcefully.<\/p><p>Within hours, Iran&#8217;s supreme leader appointed new commanders, who launched a massive barrage of ballistic missiles and drones in retaliation, targeting Tel Aviv, Haifa and other Israeli cities.<\/p><p>The scope and scale of the response were\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.the-independent.com\/news\/world\/middle-east\/iran-israel-strikes-syria-jordan-iraq-b2769510.html\">unprecedented<\/a>\u00a0in Israel&#8217;s history.<\/p><p>Suddenly, the Zionist regime found itself paralysed. Millions of its people were forced into bomb shelters. The vaunted Iron Dome defence system was overwhelmed. Netanyahu&#8217;s calls for regime change in Iran, once brash and confident, now sounded desperate and fraught.<\/p><h3><strong>Boxed <\/strong><strong>I<\/strong><strong>n<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong><\/h3><p>Israel faces a grim strategic dilemma. It cannot destroy Iran&#8217;s nuclear programme without US military help. It cannot induce regime change &#8211; a feat the US has failed to achieve despite decades of effort.<\/p><p>Thus, Netanyahu is frantically trying to pull the US into war.<\/p><p>On the other hand, Trump faces serious constraints. His base &#8211; the &#8220;Maga&#8221; movement &#8211; strongly\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/economictimes.indiatimes.com\/news\/international\/us\/trump-faces-maga-backlash-amid-world-war-iii-fears-supporters-furious-over-his-moves-on-israel-iran-war\/articleshow\/121834253.cms?from=mdr\">opposes<\/a>\u00a0another Middle Eastern conflict. A war with Iran could jeopardise his domestic agenda and inflame tensions with geopolitical rivals like\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/countries\/china\">China<\/a>.<\/p><p>Moreover, US assets in the region are vulnerable. There are 90,000 US troops (mostly in support and logistical roles rather than combat) stationed across dozens of bases, many within Iran&#8217;s missile range.<\/p><p>A wider conflict could prompt Iran to block the Strait of Hormuz, through which 21 percent of global oil passes, or attack oil fields across the Gulf &#8211; potentially causing a global economic crisis.<\/p><p>Israel has boxed itself in. It defines its victory as either the dismantlement of Iran&#8217;s nuclear programme or the fall of the regime. Anything less will be a crushing defeat. So, Netanyahu is once again trying to manipulate a US president. But the stakes are now dangerously high.<\/p><p><strong>There are three main scenarios that could unfold:<\/strong><\/p><p>1) A prolonged war of attrition: In this scenario, Israel and Iran engage in a grinding conflict that remains contained. Iran absorbs the damage and continues to strike Israeli targets, eventually emerging as the prevailing party as Israel is battered and fails to curtail Iran&#8217;s nuclear capabilities. As its nuclear activities survive, its regional influence is not only restored, but also grows.<\/p><p>2) US intervention: America is drawn into the war, seeking to destroy Iran&#8217;s nuclear programme and force Tehran into a new agreement. But this could destabilise the global economy and is unlikely to achieve its aims, given Iran&#8217;s ideology and its strategic ties to Russia and China.<\/p><p>3) Regional conflagration: A full-blown regional war draws in multiple actors, shatters existing rules of engagement, and possibly ignites a global conflict. Some analysts have\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/economictimes.indiatimes.com\/news\/new-updates\/this-is-how-world-war-iii-begins-as-missiles-rain-on-tel-aviv-analysts-say-the-next-strike-could-drag-the-world-in\/articleshow\/121853860.cms?from=mdr\">warned<\/a>\u00a0that this could mark the beginning of World War Three.<\/p><p>If Netanyahu fails to draw the US into the war, and cannot dismantle Iran&#8217;s nuclear capability or cause regime collapse, Israel&#8217;s deterrence will be permanently weakened. Ironically, such a blow may also force Israel to end its devastating genocidal war on Gaza and abandon its quest for unchallenged regional hegemony.<\/p><p>As Vladimir Lenin once observed: &#8220;There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.&#8221; In the weeks ahead,\u00a0the world may be living through one of those historic times that may define the region for decades to come.<\/p><p><strong>This article was originally published by <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/opinion\/israels-war-iran-has-left-it-paralysed-and-scrambling-us-rescue\">Middle East Eye<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-a9ed3ee elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"a9ed3ee\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b852116\" data-id=\"b852116\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ac9bc7c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ac9bc7c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cigacriticalvoices.com\/index.php\/professor-sami-al-arian\/\"><strong>Dr. Sami A. Al-Arian<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-008a60a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"008a60a\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-0bddcf3\" data-id=\"0bddcf3\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0b4cbc7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"0b4cbc7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.14.0 - 18-06-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"272\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/cigacriticalvoices.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Picture2-272x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-2777\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cigacriticalvoices.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Picture2-272x300.jpg 272w, https:\/\/cigacriticalvoices.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Picture2.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 272px) 100vw, 272px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-a59cc09 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"a59cc09\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-de1025a\" data-id=\"de1025a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5ce93da elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5ce93da\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>He is Public Affairs Professor and Director of the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA) at Istanbul Zaim University.<\/p><p>He received his PhD in Computer Engineering in 1986 and was a tenured academic in the US for two decades receiving best teaching awards at the University of South Florida (1993 and 1994) and several grants, as well as having over forty publications to his credit.<\/p><p>During his four decades in the US (1975-2015), Dr. Al-Arian founded numerous institutions and publications in the fields of education, research, religion and interfaith, as well as civil and human rights. He was a prolific speaker across many US campuses, especially on Palestine, Islam and the West, and Civil Rights. In 2001, he was named by Newsweek the \u201cpremiere civil rights activist\u201d in the US for his efforts to repeal the use of Secret Evidence in immigration courts. In 2012, he was profiled by historians in the Encyclopedia of American Dissidents as one of only three Muslims in the US out of 152 dissidents and prisoners of conscience that were included in the series in the past century (along with Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali).\u00a0 His US story was featured in 2007 in the award-winning documentary \u201cUS vs. Al-Arian,\u201d and in 2016 in the book \u201cBeing Palestinian.\u201d<\/p><p>Dr. Al-Arian has written several studies and numerous articles focusing on US foreign policy, Palestine, and the Arab Spring phenomena. His book of poetry on Spirituality, Palestine, and Human Rights Conspiring Against Joseph was published in 2004. He is also the author of The Arab Awakening Unveiled: Understanding Transformations and Revolutions in the Middle East, Washington, DC, American Educational Trust, 2013 (under a pen name) and The United States and Israel: From Enabler to Strategic Partner, IZU Publications, 2019.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Israel launched a decapitation strike to spark regime change in Iran and draw in the US &#8211; but Tehran&#8217;s unprecedented response has left it facing strategic defeat By: Prof. Sami A. Al-Arian Voices\/ July 2025 On Friday, 13 June 2025,\u00a0Israel\u00a0launched an unprovoked military attack on\u00a0Iran, striking more than 100 targets &#8211; including military bases, nuclear [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":2804,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-voices"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cigacriticalvoices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2803","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cigacriticalvoices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cigacriticalvoices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cigacriticalvoices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cigacriticalvoices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2803"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/cigacriticalvoices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2803\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2808,"href":"https:\/\/cigacriticalvoices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2803\/revisions\/2808"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cigacriticalvoices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cigacriticalvoices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cigacriticalvoices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cigacriticalvoices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}