It has become increasingly difficult to make sense of the current war in the Middle East and predict where events are heading. Beyond the debate over who is right or wrong, there are deeper questions about whether the conflict was inevitable, will it spiral out of control and how it might ultimately conclude.

To many Western‑oriented observers, the war launched by the United States and Israel may appear unnecessary or even reckless. I disagree. But understanding why this conflict was ultimately unavoidable, its timing being the only variable, requires a shift in political perspective. Paradigm shifts are never easy. Physics offers a useful analogy of the difficulty – the move from Newtonian mechanics to Einsteinian quantum theory. Classical mechanics provided a comforting, predictable universe, while quantum physics blurred once‑clear boundaries and replaced certainty with probabilities. A student trained only in classical mechanics would naturally resist a framework that overturns so many foundational assumptions.

The same dynamic applies to geopolitics. Accepting that this war was not a reckless choice demands a similar shift. Approaching today’s conflict with assumptions drawn from earlier European wars, where nations shared comparable worldviews and competed mainly for territory, influence, or economic advantage misses the core reality driving the present hostilities.

The rationale for the war with Iran is fundamentally different from past European wars. First, Iran’s motivations are ideological rather than conventionally imperial. Its aim is not merely to extend political control beyond its borders. Instead, after defeating its opponents, it seeks to impose a rigid, fundamentalist interpretation of Islam, in its own rhetoric, on a global scale. It’s reference to the U.S. as being the “Greater Satan” and Israel as the lesser Satan are slogan versions of their ideology.

Second, traditional aggressors behave like bullies: they push until they meet resistance, and when the cost becomes too high, they pull back. Iran and its proxy Hezbollah do not follow this pattern. Driven by an ideological mission to destroy Israel and reshape the region, the IRGC Iranian regime along with Hezbollah are willing to absorb staggering losses of infrastructure, civilians, soldiers, and even senior leaders to pursue their ideological belligerent goals. These are........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)