There are calls from the hardline faction to official declare war against Israel and enter the conflict in Gaza. But Iranian authorities do not have a death wish, says Deakin University professor of Middle East politics Shahram Akbarzadeh.
Iranian protestors attend an anti-Israel rally as they hold up posters of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iranian and Palestinian flags, at Enqelab-e-Eslami Square in Tehran, Iran, Oct 18, 2023. . This warning is widely interpreted as a declaration of intent for Iran to enter the conflict via its allies and proxies.
As a result, Iran has been maintaining a difficult balance between its ideological rhetoric and political expediency. But Iran is playing with fire. The balance it seeks to maintain can be easily disrupted in the unpredictable fog of war. They are fully aware that open confrontation with Israel - or even a confrontation by one of Iran’s proxies - could be very costly for Iran. Not only could there be an Israeli military retaliation on Iranian facilities, but also political repercussions for a regime increasingly unpopular with its own citizens.
After the US assassination of celebrated war hero Qassem Soleimani in January 2020, for example, Iranian authorities were enraged and promised “harsh retaliation”. But the response was relatively meek: A pre-warned strike on two Iraqi airfields that housed US troops. In 2020, a similar operation was carried out by Israel to attack Iranian military targets in Syria. And again this year, before the Gaza war, Israel launched air strikes against Iranian forces in Syria. Iran’s response to these acts has been muted.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Israel-Hamas war: US fighter jets strike Syria after attacks by Iran-backed militiaThe strikes come as concerns grow that the war may spread in the Middle East. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Read more »
Drone blasts hit 2 Egyptian Red Sea towns, Israel points to HouthiCAIRO/JERUSALEM - Drones caused explosions that rocked two Egyptian towns on the Red Sea on Friday (Oct 27), the Egyptian army said, while Israel said Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement sent them to strike Israel. The explosions injured six people and illustrated the risk of regional spillover from the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Read more »
Commentary: Forward SG report envisages a more inclusive Singapore - but the country must stay competitiveGreater assurance and collectivism are the way forward for Singapore, but we must also strive to sustain competitiveness, says Terence Ho of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
Read more »
Commentary: South China Sea isn’t the place to play ‘game of chicken’After Chinese and Philippine vessels collided off the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, one question arises: Is this the one that triggers a US-China clash? RSIS’ Collin Koh weighs in.
Read more »
Commentary: Joe Biden’s unsung shift on ChinaThe upside to dialogue between Washington and Beijing should never be overlooked, says the Financial Times’ Edward Luce.
Read more »
Commentary: For everyone’s sake, companies must stop manipulating their emission reportsA fundamental tool to address climate change is carbon accounting, but there are loopholes that companies can exploit to hide their true environmental impact, says NTU’s Kelvin Law.
Read more »