Japan has a proverb: “Hell if you retreat, hell if you advance.” It describes a situation in which no choice offers escape. Unfortunately, that is where the United States, Israel and Iran now appear headed.

Since last week, U.S. media have been filled with reports about the possibility of a Trump administration strike on Iran. Such an attack could create precisely that no-win outcome: To advance is hell; to retreat is hell.

Iran is not Venezuela. A decapitation strike like the one the United States carried out last month against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro would not be feasible in Iran.

© The Japan Times