How Iran, Israel, And US Is Preparing For A Regional War In West Asia
West Asia is boiling with the tensions of regional war. Iran and its regional armed groups are preparing to respond to Israel over the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr earlier this week.
Iran and its proxy teams, self-styled as the “axis of resistance”, in its bid for being at odds with United States-Israeli hegemony in the region, pledged that they will seek to restore deterrence against Israel without provoking a full-blown regional war, while warning that the space for miscalculation is razor-thin, analysts told Al Jazeera.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that it was Tehran’s “duty” to avenge Haniyeh, after he was assassinated in the Iranian capital. Though Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack, Iran says Israel is behind the assassination.
Also Read: Avenging Ismail Haniyeh’s Death Is Tehran’s Duty: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Few hours before Haniyeh’s assassination, Israel hit Lebanon capital, Beirut, killing Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukur. Israel calimed responsibility of the attack and it was said to be in response to a projectile that killed 12 children and teens in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Hezbollah denied responsibility of the attack, but Israel accused the Iran-backed Lebanese group.
“It could be a staggered operation with Iran taking the lead and then followed by [attacks from] the other armed groups. I think they will go for a high-profile military target”, said Nicholas Blanford, an expert on Hezbollah with the Atlantic Council, a think tank in Washington, DC, as quoted by Al Jazeera.
Some analysts warn that a substantial attack by the “axis-of-resistance” risks killing Israeli military personnel or civilians, thereby raising the spectre of a major regional conflict.
Like Iran’s Axis of Resistance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has envisioned a new regional coalition in the region, termed as “Abraham Alliance”. It is an expansion of the Abraham Accords, aims to unite countries with diplomatic ties to Israel against Iran’s influence, particularly the Axis of Resistance.
Also Read: What Is Hezbollah – How Formidable Is The Lebanese Group?
The Abraham Accords was initiated in September 2020. It normalised relations between Israel and several Arab nations, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. Netanyahu was seeking a coalition that could include current and future diplomatic partners of Israel. This alliance aims to counteract what Netanyahu describes as “Iran’s terror”.
As tension rose, in the wake of assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, US has pledged to bolster its military presence in the Middle East, deploying an aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Abraham Lincoln, additional ballistic missile defense-capable ships, and a new fighter squadron.
Israel is now coordinating closely with both the US and the United Kingdom, preparing for a potential retaliation from Iran and its allies. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has held discussions with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin and British Defence Secretary John Healey.
Apart from condemning the assassination of Haniyeh, most of the Arab countries did not speak about responding to the ‘heinous attack’.
