The situation in the Middle East entered a new, dramatic phase last Saturday, with the United States and Israel launching a coordinated wave of airstrikes against Iran. What began as yet another escalation of tensions has turned into an unprecedented blow to the heart of the Iranian regime, with the confirmed assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In an operation that held the entire planet’s breath, Israeli fighter jets, using precise CIA intelligence, leveled the government complex and Khamenei’s residence in Tehran. At least 40 bombs fell on the target, reducing the complex to rubble. The strike was not merely symbolic. It was deeply personal, and aimed to decapitate the Iranian state. Along with Khamenei, close relatives of his were killed in the same bombing: his daughter, his son-in-law, and a grandson, according to official Iranian media, plunging the country into mourning but also into anger.
Η επιχείρηση δεν σταμάτησε εκεί. Η επίθεση αποδεκάτισε την ανώτατη στρατιωτική ηγεσία του Ιράν, που βρισκόταν σε σύσκεψη εκείνη την ώρα. Ανάμεσα στους νεκρούς συγκαταλέγονται ο διοικητής των Φρουρών της Επανάστασης Mohammad Pakpour, ο υπουργός Άμυνας Aziz Nasirzadeh και ο πρόεδρος του Στρατιωτικού Συμβουλίου, Ali Shamkhani. Αναφορές που κυκλοφορούν στο διαδίκτυο κάνουν λόγο και για τον θάνατο του πρώην προέδρου του Ιράν, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, στο σπίτι του.
The failure of the negotiations provided a pretext for imposing the US will by force, forcing Iran into complete submission. At the same time, the start of a new war adventure functions as a show-stopping stunt to overshadow serious domestic political problems, such as the Epstein scandal, and to rally the electorate in view of the crucial midterm elections in November. But also to draw the spotlight from the enormous US debt that has exceeded 38 trillion and is galloping like a rabid herd of Mustangs.
Finland, through its president Alexander Stubb, warned that the US is now moving outside the traditional framework of international law, raising serious questions about the new world order. But no one else in the E.U. has not dared to disagree and of course Stubb’s political displacement is laughable.
The situation is explosive to say the least. The US-Israeli action is not just an escalation; it is the opening of Pandora’s box in the Middle East. The Iranian response was immediate and massive, with missile attacks on US bases throughout the Gulf, including the headquarters of the 5th Fleet in Bahrain, and on Israel. Explosions occurred in Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan, as the air defense systems of these countries tried to intercept the Iranian missiles, turning the entire region into a battlefield. Dubai, the world’s commercial and tourist hub, was rocked by five powerful explosions, while one person was killed in Abu Dhabi, proving that no one is safe anymore.
These developments make the situation politically unmanageable. The assassination of Iran’s supreme religious and political leader, along with members of his family and part of the military leadership, is not an action that can leave room for diplomatic maneuvers or retreats. It is a war cry. Iran, despite the trauma, has shown that it retains the ability to strike at its enemies throughout the Middle East, setting fire to an already flammable region.
The question now is not whether the conflict will escalate, but how deep and bloody it will become. The international community is divided, with US allies such as France and Spain openly expressing their concern at this “dangerous and stupid” action, as US Senator Tim Kaine described it.
By provocatively engaging in a war that the US has no justification for, President Trump is de facto proving that he is not a fool.
After his seven (!) visits to the White House this year and the war in Iran, Prime Minister Netanyahu is de facto proving that he is committed to reshaping the Middle East, destroying anyone who stands in his way.
The future of the Middle East is more uncertain than ever.
