There is a vast distinction between living in the Western hemisphere and living in the Middle East. When your destiny is anchored to this region, there is literally nowhere else to go. People living in the north of Israel have been bombarded by Hezbollah. People in the center have been pummeled by the Islamic Republic. Even Eilat has gotten its share.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has always said that it plans to annihilate “the Great Satan” (the United States), but its first course is “the Little Satan” (Israel). At this point, in a failed attempt to anger the United States, the regime lashed out not only at Israel and American military bases, but also at their Sunni Arab neighbors.
This is backfiring on Iran.
On March 12, the U.N. Security Council met and adopted a legally binding resolution, sponsored by the Gulf Cooperation Council, condemning the Iranian actions. The GCC is composed of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. Russia and China abstained.
This resolution had the highest number of signatories as cosponsors, a total of 135.
Some within the Trump administration seem to be content with letting Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and his regime stand, as long as the United States is diminishing their supply of ballistic missiles and highly enriched uranium.
However, the toxic and lethal components of the Islamic Republic, if allowed to remain intact, will continue to shower their terror proxies with money and influence; continue to create more missiles; continue to aim for a nuclear bomb; and continue the relentless repression of their own people.
In January, when Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij were shooting masses of demonstrators on the streets, U.S. President Donald Trump urged them, tweeting, “Help is on its way.”
Now, Trump is now listening to the pain many Americans are feeling at the pump and keeping a watchful eye toward the midterm elections.
The actions taken by Washington and Jerusalem include airstrikes targeting regime figures, such as Khamenei and at least 40 other high-ranking members of his regime, and striking the remaining nuclear infrastructure at the Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan facilities. The two powers are also hitting Kharg Island, the oil-producing hub 15 miles from Iran. A video released by U.S. Central Command shows strikes destroying 90 locations, including mine facilities, missile storage bunkers and military sites, while preserving the oil infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Iran’s favorite terror proxy, Hezbollah in Lebanon, has been raining down hundreds of rockets and drones onto Israel’s north, forcing residents back into shelters. The assault has caused damage in as much as 50 kilometers below the Lebanese border, as the IRGC has assaulted most of central Israel. Missile-defense systems have managed to intercept most projectiles, though fragments from intercepted missiles have fallen on communities, damaging land and property.
It is a multifront campaign against Iran and Hezbollah, both of which are paying a heavy price for their actions. An Israeli wave of airstrikes has been carried out in southern Beirut, and many of Hezbollah’s elite units, including the Radwan force, have been neutralized.
This might involve a serious bump in the road between the expectations in this war, orchestrated by Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump wants to upend the Islamic Republic; Netanyahu wants to end it. There might be rocky waters ahead.
