The conflict between Israel and Iran continues to intensify, with both countries exchanging attacks. Iranian missiles hit sites across Israel, killing at least four people and injuring dozens, in retaliation for ongoing Israeli attacks on Iran. According to Iran, Israel has killed at least 78 people, including women and children, and wounded over 320 others.
Alex Gatopoulos, Al Jazeera’s defence editor, notes that Israel’s air strikes will have to continue to keep Iran off balance. “The air strikes will have to continue. At the end of the day, Israel doesn’t really have the ordnance to destroy some of the deeper installations,” he said. Israel aims to degrade Iran’s ability to fight back and attack Israel.
The Israeli public is largely united behind efforts to target Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, viewing it as a rare point of national consensus. “Israelis don’t agree on much but that Iran’s Islamic Republic government should not have a nuclear weapon is perhaps the only thing to make them come around,” said Dan Perry, an Israeli affairs analyst.
Iran has retaliated with a series of missiles and drone attacks on Israel, causing casualties and damage. The Israeli military said its air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities resulted in the deaths of nine leading Iranian nuclear scientists. Pope Leo has called for peace and dialogue, saying, “No one should ever threaten the existence of another.”
Hamed Mousavi, a professor of political science at Tehran University, believes Iran is geopolitically isolated, with limited support from other countries. “The Israelis have the support of the Americans who are providing them with the most advanced weaponry, giving them over $3.5 billion of aid annually and vetoing every UN Security Council resolution that tries to condemn Israel,” he said.
Meanwhile,three people have been reportedly killed in Israel and dozens injured in Iran missiles retaliatory attacks on Israel.