The US-led West has consistently connived to meet the insatiable demands of Israel’s abiding insecurities. Today, all of Israel’s deemed, potential, and/or imminent threats stand neutralised. Iran, the designated enemy, is isolated yet defiant and unbending against a massive onslaught by the US-Israel Combine. In retaliation, Iran has attacked Israel and all US bases in the Gulf Arab states. It has targeted the oil and gas installations on the Arabian Peninsula, some oil tankers, and literally blocked the Hormuz Straits. Predictably, the global prices of oil and gas have shot through the stratosphere.

The current US-Israeli combined assault on Iran could be seen as Phase Two of its earlier attack in June 2025. However, it lacks clarity on a well-defined end state. What will constitute victory for the US-Israel Combine? How do they intend to bring this war to a favourable, desirable, and timely closure? It appears indeterminate. The US-Israel Combine could have five strategic objectives. One, force the total capitulation of Iran and establish Israel’s unchallenged hegemony in the region. Two, wipe out the remnants of Iran’s nuclear programme, if any. Three, completely destroy Iran’s ballistic missile programme, thus defanging it by denying it the capacity to build nuclear warheads and their delivery systems and mechanisms. It includes the destruction of the Iranian Navy too. Four, create the strategic environment for a regime change in Iran by assassinating the top political and military leadership. Instigate the more liberal sections of Iran’s society to fill the resultant political vacuum and engender regime change. This appears to be a rather simplistic, unrealistic, and overly optimistic objective of the campaign, as no alternate leadership or methodology has been created within Iran to mobilise the masses and make a bid for power. Ominously, could an Iranian government-in-exile be created, a unilateral declaration of independence made, and it granted immediate recognition by the US-led West and Israel? Five, create favourable political environments for PM Netanyahu and President Trump to win their respective domestic elections later in the year. This appears to be the most plausible, overwhelming strategic objective of all!

While the war against Iran rages on, PM Netanyahu has unsurprisingly come up with yet another fanciful, self-serving strategic vision for the future. He seems to yet again conjure up “existential threats” to Israel where none exist. It seems aimed at enhancing Israel’s strategic reach and sphere of influence by comprehensively neutralising the Muslim world. It is a grotesque ambition, an extremely dangerous strategy fraught with potentially devastating ramifications for the region and the world. It can be safely assumed to have the blessings of the US-led West too. PM Netanyahu has started talking of a “hexagon of allies”, a proposed regional framework which places India at its centre alongside Greece, Cyprus, and some unnamed Asian, African, and Arab states. The stated purpose of this fantastic idea is to tackle the Muslims comprehensively, as a whole. It divides the Muslim nation into two radical axes: Shia and Sunni. PM Netanyahu feels that Israel and the US-led West have already dealt with the radical Shia axis quite effectively. This would imply the neutralisation of Shia-majority countries like Iraq, Bahrain, and even Iran, along with the regional militant Shia organisations in Iraq, Hizbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen. He now wants the Sunni axis to be tackled too. However, the implications of such a grandiose geopolitical manoeuvre will have profound extra-regional and global dimensions. Although the “radical” Sunni axis may not have been explicitly named, it can be safely surmised to include Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, etc. Does the distinct possibility of Turkey and others joining the Pak-Saudi Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement rankle PM Netanyahu? Does he intend to pre-empt and forestall such a potentially potent group from evolving?

This proposal by PM Netanyahu needs to be critically analysed. It is rather vague at the moment but cannot be without a compelling rationale and support from the US-led West. However, India’s inclusion in it is quite perplexing. Was this decided during PM Modi’s recent visit to Israel? India prides itself on its strategic autonomy and is least likely to become subservient to Israel’s fantastic, self-centred strategies or quaint sense of insecurity. Its interests lie mostly in acquiring the latest technologies in weapon systems, including lasers, AI, quantum computing, cyber warfare, etc., from Israel without prejudice to its relations with the Gulf Arab states. Greece and Cyprus, the other two participants named, do not inspire any awe in geopolitical or military terms. So, PM Netanyahu has floated an idea which he expects will grow, eventually gain credence with the US-led West, and may manifest itself in the not-too-distant future. If it materialises, its strategic connotations will be colossal!

The Muslim world must resist the Israeli intent to divide and destroy it on sectarian lines. It must come up with a whole-of-the-Muslim-world response. It must seek a convergence of Shia and Sunni axes and present a strong, unified Muslim front to these subversive attempts. The current war between Iran and the US-Israel Combine has placed the Arabs and Iranians in opposing camps. There should be no doubt in the minds of the Arabs that once they have been fully exploited to secure Israel’s and the US-led West’s interests in the region, especially vis-à-vis Iran, they could be next on the chopping block. Beware!

The Middle East is imploding. Armageddon is truly creeping, ominously crystallising, forging, and portending existential threats. It is bound to move further east of Iran. Pakistan must demonstrate clear-eyed strategic vision, foresight, unfettered courage and move now to counter the existential threats that are all but at its doorstep!

Imran MalikThe writer is a retired brigadier of the Pakistan Army. He can be reached at im.k846@gmail.com and tweets @K846Im.

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