How Israel's Iran strikes might open 'Pandora's box' for the region — and the U.S.
If Iran did decide to retaliate against American interests, that would likely mean some form of 'major creep' into Iraq or the Gulf, Geranmayeh, at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told NBC News. And that's less likely, according to her and other analysts, because of the rapprochement between Tehran and previous foes such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar in recent years.
Despite Israel's overwhelming military superiority, Netanyahu could be in a tricky spot, as he does not have the capabilities to eliminate Iran's nuclear facilities alone, according to Dina Esfandiary, the Middle East geoeconomics lead for Bloomberg Economics, Bloomberg's internal research division.
With its U.S.-funded armed forces, Israel 'can do considerable damage' she said. 'But it can't be successful' in its stated objective of 'crippling Iran's nuclear program' without 'the U.S. coming on board,' Esfandiary said.
Principally, it doesn't have the means to target the deeply buried underground facilities of Iran's nuclear program, experts say.
In short, as Rouzbeh Parsi, director of the Middle East program at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, put it on X: 'Israel has always been capable of starting this war. But it has been equally clear that it cannot finish it on its own.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BreakingNews.ie
an hour ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Israel-Iran war stretches into a second week without diplomatic breakthrough
Hours of talks aimed at de-escalating fighting between Israel and Iran failed to produce a diplomatic breakthrough as the war entered its second week with a fresh round of strikes between the two adversaries. European ministers and Iran's top diplomat met for four hours on Friday in Geneva, as President Donald Trump continued to weigh US military involvement and worries rose over potential strikes on nuclear reactors. Advertisement European officials expressed hope for future negotiations, and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said he was open to further dialogue while emphasising that Tehran had no interest in negotiating with the US while Israel continued attacking. 'Iran is ready to consider diplomacy if aggression ceases and the aggressor is held accountable for its committed crimes,' he told reporters. Benjamin Netanyahu visits the site of the Weizmann Institute of Science, which was hit by missiles fired from Iran (Jack Guez/Pool Photo via AP) No date was set for the next round of talks. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's military operation in Iran would continue 'for as long as it takes' to eliminate what he called the existential threat of Iran's nuclear programme and arsenal of ballistic missiles. Advertisement Israel's top general echoed the warning, saying the Israeli military was ready 'for a prolonged campaign'. But Mr Netanyahu's goal could be out of reach without US help. Iran's underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility is considered to be out of reach to all but America's 'bunker-buster' bombs. Mr Trump said he would put off deciding whether to join Israel's air campaign against Iran for up to two weeks. The war between Israel and Iran erupted on June 13, with Israeli airstrikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. Advertisement At least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group. Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's multi-tiered air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded. Israel's defence minister said on Saturday it killed a commander in Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the October 7 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the 20-month long war in Gaza. Israel said Saeed Izadi was commander of the Palestine Corps for the Iranian Quds Force, an elite arm of the Guard that conducts military and intelligence operations outside Iran, and that he was killed in an apartment in the city of Qom. Advertisement
NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
Israel-Iran live updates: Conflict enters 9th day as diplomacy falters
CONFLICT ENTERS 9TH DAY: Iran sent a missile barrage into Israel early this morning, sending millions into bomb shelters but with no reported casualties. Israel continued to strike military sites in Iran. NO BREAKTHROUGHS ON INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY: A summit in Geneva yesterday with Iran's foreign minister and European leaders yielded no signs of a breakthrough. At the United Nations Security Council, Iran and Israel traded insults in a heated but ultimately inconclusive meeting. U.S. POSITION: Trump dismissed the European effort, suggesting that a diplomatic solution would require U.S. involvement. On Thursday, he opened a two-week window for negotiations with Iran, delaying a decision on a U.S. military strike on Iranian nuclear sites. IRAN AND ISRAEL: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC News that Iran was not sure it could trust the U.S., and that they would not negotiate 'as long as the aggression continues.' The Israeli military chief said yesterday that the country is ready for 'a prolonged campaign' against Iran. NUCLEAR SITE RISKS: The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, said Israel's strikes on Iranian nuclear power sites have caused some radiological leaks. There is no danger to the public for now, he said,'but there is a danger this could still happen.' HUNDREDS KILLED: Israeli strikes have so far killed at least 630 people in Iran, The Associated Press reported, citing a Washington-based human rights group. The Iranian health ministry says more than 2,500 people have been wounded. The death toll in Israel from Iran's retaliatory strikes remains at 24.
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
BRIAN READE: 'There's no stopping America destroying English football'
You may have failed to notice that there's something going on in America called the Club World Cup of football. It's not the club football you're used to seeing in the Premier League, where two psyched-up teams go like the clappers for 90 blood-curdling minutes in front of packed, passionate stadiums. This newly invented competition is quite the opposite. Take Chelsea 's game against Los Angeles FC on Monday in Atlanta, when there were so many gaps in the stands you could have played a five-a-side game as 50,000 tickets went unsold. FIFA's latest month-long, out-of-season, vanity exercise comprises hopeless mismatches between minnows and giants and slow-paced bore-a-thons in the searing heat. Which leaves European players wishing their knackered bodies and minds were recovering on a beach after a gruelling nine-month season before training starts for another one next month. Like the recent equally pointless and anaemic England games, the only reason footballers and fans are being denied a vital summer break from the sport is that those in charge of it are hopelessly consumed with greed. Spy a blank date in the calendar and a rich, relatively-untapped market like the USA, and they will pull out all the stops to squeeze more sweat from the players and money from the audiences. And, sadly, it's only going to get worse. When US tycoon Todd Boehly bought Chelsea for £4billion in 2022, he told a private equity conference: 'The global footprint of soccer is really underdeveloped' and needs 'an American mentality' to fully realise its financial possibilities. Boehly is just another Yank moneyman who sussed that the earning potential of American football had been maxed out and the hugely-popular English Premier League was the certain route to unlocking sport's global riches. Next season 11 Premier League clubs will be run by Americans, and when it reaches 14, which it soon will, they will run the show as that is the number required to rewrite the rules. Which they will swiftly do. And thus the top echelon of English football will become a closed shop run by, and for, US hedge funds. Looking at what they have already hinted at there's every chance relegation will be scrapped, eliminating financial jeopardy and demolishing the 136-year-old pyramid that sees money flow down to the lower leagues and grass roots. You can expect rounds of Premier League games played in America, or even a global day of games spread across the world's different time zones. Domestic kick-off times will be changed to suit global audiences and a cup final could be played in Baltimore or Beijing where, for one night, the teams who, for example, played in last season's FA Cup final, could be renamed The Crystaldelphia Eagles and the Manchester Dolphins. I wouldn't bet against the two top teams in the league eventually being forced into a Superbowl -style finale, with cheerleaders, Taylor Swift, tailgate parties and adverts popping up during stoppages where sponsors announce 'this substitution break is brought to you by StayHard erectile dysfunction pills'. And any complaint from the paying fans whose life revolves around following their team, will not register. They will simply be told that the Premier League is now a US-owned, blue-chip, global brand like McDonald's or Disney and, like Coca-Cola, you old school, legacy dudes will just have to suck it up. Have a nice day, y'all. Feeding naturally nourishing food shouldn't come with a side of hassle - Forthglade's subscription service takes care of your dog and your to-do list.
