Consider what Israel has done since it was attacked. First, it levelled Gaza to the ground, bombing the narrow strip of land back to the Stone Age. Then, it turned its focus to Hezbollah in Lebanon. From pager bombs to massive strikes in the heart of Southern Beirut, and from killing Ismail Haniyeh to assassinating Hassan Nasrallah – Israel did it all.

Tel Aviv and the US have also degraded the Houthis in Yemen and smaller militias in Iraq and Syria with targeted airstrikes. Most recently, former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime collapsed like a house of cards. This marked the moment when Iran’s famed “Axis of Resistance" came undone in West Asia.

Iran spent decades building and nourishing this “Axis of Resistance". Within months, Israel was able to dismantle it all. Syria was the last domino to fall, and when Bashar al-Assad made a run for Moscow, Iran helplessly watched its last bastion of influence fall to forces inimical to its agenda. Israel has tackled all the peripheral threats successfully over the course of the last year. Now, it is turning its attention to the Octopus’ head – which happens to be Iran.

For Israel, a better time to strike Iran has not existed. Donald Trump is back in the White House, who, during his presidential campaign, said Israel should strike Iran’s nuclear facilities in response to missile barrages from the Shi’ite nation. It is widely believed that Israel is now more prepared than it has ever been to take down Iran’s nuclear programme. According to regional media, some European officials believe that a decision to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities has already been taken by Israel.

Over the past several months, Israel has greatly undermined Iran’s air defence systems........

© News18