Israel is on the verge of war. I’m not just talking about the defense and intelligence community. The public has canceled plans, from school trips to family visits. Iran’s shadow retreatsThey prefer to be near bomb shelters instead.
This could be a sign of things to come for Britain. Such horrors have not been felt on these shores for more than 80 years. Perhaps that is why the Secretary of Defense’s warning in January that we were living in a “pre-war world” had little impact on the public. But if you think about war scenarios, you will find that they are easier to imagine than the narrow path to maintaining peace.
First, let’s look at the current threats. When Joe Biden paused his criticism of Israel and asserted that his own efforts to protect Israel from Iran are “ironclad,” his rhetoric finally aligned with Israeli interests. But being a little slow doesn’t cover it. The Biden administration’s attitude toward Iran has long been deeply appeasement. And in the face of interlocking enemies like China, Russia, and Iran, appeasing someone emboldens them all.
Up until now, the main weapon of the Western countries has been the economy. However, as Rich Goldberg, former director of the White House National Security Council’s countermeasures against Iranian weapons of mass destruction, pointed out, the Biden administration is weakening its own sanctions, with $16 billion in frozen funds heading into October. are being released into Tehran. 7.
That huge sum included $6bn (£5bn) to secure the release of five American prisoners in September, a historic ransom that only served to encourage further hostage-taking. be. The deal was rushed through during the summer recess to avoid Congressional oversight. Does anyone believe that America’s efforts to use this money for humanitarian purposes will be successful?
As ridiculous as it sounds, the State Department has also turned a blind eye to the sale of Iranian oil to China, which allows Tehran to export more than 1 million barrels a day, and which allows Iraq to sell oil and Iranian oil to China. Gas can now be exchanged.
These reckless efforts began as part of Barack Obama’s failed effort to revive the nuclear deal, which Donald Trump pulled out of in 2018 in a bid for “maximum pressure.”
Talks led by ultra-dovish groups robert marie It was characterized by complete simplicity. Diplomats involved in the negotiations told me that the U.S. stance was so soft that it was left to British negotiators to step up the negotiations. In this incident, the Iranians were simply buying time while accelerating toward the bomb. All important milestones were achieved during this dithering period, including achieving 20 percent enrichment, then 60 percent, and so on.
Tehran is now one week away from obtaining enough nuclear material for one bomb. Former United Nations weapons inspector David Albright says it could be weaponized within months.
To accomplish this, with the eyes of the world on Gaza, the Ayatollahs have built underground facilities in Natanz deep enough to evade Western airstrikes. One bomb isn’t enough to destroy the world, but the clock shows one minute to midnight.
The crux of the problem is that Western countries have no idea about the Iranian regime. Our diplomatic class projects principles of enlightened self-interest to the Ayatollahs, but in reality, despite their sophisticated strategies, they are driven by religious fanaticism.
As anyone educated in the regime’s schools will agree, they believe that the apocalypse will herald the return of the Messiah known as the Mahdi. Together with his 313 most loyal warriors, he conquers the world and usher in a new era. The regime’s doomsday strategy includes three elements: ballistic missiles, proxy militias, and nuclear weapons. The target is Israel.
We are also in the crosshairs. In 2022, MI5 revealed that Tehran had made 10 assassination attempts on British beaches that year, with a further 15 thwarted by anti-terrorism police in 2023. Last month, an Iranian dissident journalist was stabbed to death in west London in what appeared to be an attack on the regime. A security official told me that Tehran kept him up late. However, for reasons known only to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we have not yet blacklisted the Revolutionary Guards.
As the situation in the Middle East evolves, there is one possible war scenario. Iran, along with its proxies, is participating in direct attacks on Israel. Houthi rockets blockade the Red Sea. As the United States sends troops to the Eastern Mediterranean, China attacks Taiwan, forcing the White House to divert assets to the Indo-Pacific.
President Putin seizes the opportunity to attack NATO member Estonia and fire a missile at London. The next step could be nuclear warheads and North Korea.
Britain finds itself at war. Look at us. A depleted army, weeks worth of ammunition, a Trident missile that fell into the ocean from a previous test, and a 3 billion pound aircraft carrier with a rusting propeller.
in March on Gaza, a new cry goes up: “Iran, Iran, be proud of us.” Cancel your family plan. We feel safer near the bomb shelter.
That’s why Israel’s security is so important. That is why we must arm ourselves again. That’s why we have to be tough on Iran.
Jake Wallis Simmons is the author of ‘Israelphobia’