Israel and Iran Go to War, Launching Numerous Airstrikes Against Each Other

What Happened?

Israel launched a series of airstrikes at dozens of targets across Iran this weekend, triggering waves of Iranian drone and missile attacks on Israel. Both Israel and Iran have rejected international overtures aimed at de-escalation, meaning the two long time enemies are now at war. 

Israeli spokesmen claimed the objective of the new campaign against Iran, code named Operation Rising Lion, is to eliminate Iran’s nuclear program and destroy its capacity to build and launch ballistic missiles. Iran vowed to continue retaliating against Israel, though Iran’s Foreign Minister also said Iran would stop launching attacks if Israel did the same.

Why it Matters

The Israeli air campaign is the largest against Iran since the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. In response, Iran has been launching much larger missiles against Israel containing bigger warheads which caused significant damage to a number of places in Israel, including the capital of Tel Aviv. The two longtime enemies, which have fought proxy wars for years, are now directly at war with each other.

Israel, which is known for pioneering new technologies and innovative plans to strike its enemies, has done so again with the current operation against Iran. At the outset, a series of drones were smuggled into Iran by Israeli special forces and launched against targets from inside Iranian territory. This style of attack is like the Ukrainian drone strikes against Russian airfields and is something that could be done to any country in the world. 

With Syria and Iraq in tatters and Hezbollah smashed in Lebanon, Israel now has a clear flight path to Iranian territory, something it has never had before. That means Israeli aircraft can fly to and from Iran with little to no resistance, which has enabled the Israeli Air Force to carry out a sustained bombing campaign against dozens of targets in Iran. Iran’s nuclear facilities at Natanz have been hit, and recently Iranian oil refineries in Tehran have also been struck. With Iran’s defenses crippled, Israel can continue bombing targets indefinitely.

The U.S. has not participated in the attacks against Iran, but it has helped Israel down incoming Iranian missiles. Whether Iran will choose to strike American bases in the Middle East remains to be seen, but thus far it has not. Either way, U.S.-Iranian nuclear negotiations are over, at least for the time being. 

While the objective of the Israeli military campaign is to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, Israel is also hoping that damaging the Iranian regime will encourage an uprising in Iran to oust the current rulers from power. The regime is deeply unpopular in Iran, but whether Iranians will rise up against their government is uncertain. 

How it Affects You

With Israel and Iran now at war, any attack by Iranian forces on U.S. forces in the Middle East would likely bring America directly into the conflict. Israel has stated it will continue striking targets in Iran for weeks, and it certainly has the capability to do so.