12 MINUTES TO TEL AVIV!

This is not like Gaza — where unarmed innocents were butchered in cold blood. They are now fighting, perhaps, the deadliest and most organized guerilla force in the world, with thousands of trained fighters, armed with the most sophisticated weaponry supplied by Iran, and other countries, not exactly friendly to the US

By Amit Sengupta

It takes around 12 minutes. The ballistic missiles fired from Iran takes just about 12 minutes to hit its targets in Israel. That is bad news for the military establishment in Tel Aviv.

In one fierce attack, just one, Iran fired 180 ballistic missiles, in one go, into the heart of Israel. Despite the Iron Dome, it is clear that serious damage has been done.

Big cities like Haifa and Tel Aviv are operating as if under siege. Entire populations have gone underground, taking shelter in bunkers, and in metro stations. The streets are virtually empty.

If anything, it proves that all is not hunky dory in tense Israel since it has declared war on Hezbollah. This is not like Gaza — where unarmed innocents were butchered in cold blood. They are now fighting, perhaps, the deadliest and most organized guerilla force in the world, with thousands of trained fighters, armed with the most sophisticated weaponry supplied by Iran, and other countries, not exactly friendly to the US. They operate from a huge network of efficiently crafted underground tunnels,and their writ runs everywhere overground, across the length and breadth of Lebanon.

If Israel had expected it, it could not hide the panic, and the despair. Despite the virtual ban on any news trickling out of the country, especially when it comes to the damage inflicted by Hezbollah.

And now, Iran.

World War 3?

It’s like a stupid childhood game, but the horrible specter seems to be haunting the world yet again, however distant it seems. And the origin of it this time will be from the occupied territory of ancient Palestine — engineered, organized and enacted by Israel, and backed by the United States of America, with its predictable West European lackeys — Britain, Germany and France.

Some things just refuse to change. Including the diabolical fact that Israel is the new Nazi force of the Americans to control and reorder the dynamics of Middle-East’s oil rich economy, and its opportunist politics. Besides, with most of the totalitarian regimes, led by Saudi Arabia, operating as stooges of the US, Israel has been given a free run to do what it wants.

The ballistic missiles — it was not a declaration of war from Iran. It was like a warning. Iran has said that it will not fire any more missiles hereafter, and this was precisely to prove a point.

“If the Zionist regime (Israel) does not stop its crimes, it will face harsher reactions,” said Iran’s new, reformist President, Masoud Pezeshkian, as he left for Qatar. Earlier, he had said that Iran will not retaliate, unless it is provoked.

Significantly,Qatar has been the centre of the ceasefire talks held between various forces, led by the Americans. Failed or otherwise, the condemned hostages are still trapped by the Hamas, perhaps somewhere in the dark and dingy tunnels of ravaged Gaza.

Besides, whenever the talks reached the edge of a possible solution, they failed. Often, predictably.

Sometimes, it seemed there was no intention at all on the part of the Israeli negotiators to find a solution — for the release of their own people! Why?

Even as thousands continued to be bombed to death in Gaza, despite strictures by the International Court of Justice, and appeals by the United Nations and the world community. Tel Aviv and its fanatic establishment was simply in no mood for a reconciliation.

It was also crystal clear that a beleaguered Benjamin Netanyahu did not want a solution. He wanted the painful wounds to linger on, so that the war could go on. That was the only way to save his face, and restore his damaged reputation; and his dwindling hold on the power structure run by a handful of Ku Klux Klan type of Right-wing, xenophobic cabinet ministers.

He seems isolated among the world community, and hated by a large section of his own people, including those who did not want a war or genocide. This included tens of thousands of students in the US, who asked Joe Biden to stop sending arms and money to Israel, and who shouted in unison: Ceasefire Now! Free Palestine!

Till date, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is bombing refugee camps and whatever remains of the rubble. Killing people everyday.

According to unofficial estimates, as many as 170 journalists have been killed in Gaza, often as targeted killings. Hundreds of Palestinians are rotting in Israeli prisons, perhaps tortured and starved, including women and children.

However, like Netanyahu, the Americans, Democrats or Republics — it does not matter — they simply care two hoots.

Meanwhile, as the ceasefire talks continued to fail and the hostages were denied their legitimate freedom, most people in Israel were aware, and the world knew, including his ally and protector, the American establishment at the White House, that he did not want the hostages to be released. He cared two hoots for their relentless suffering, or the suffering of their loved ones.

It was transparent that all he wanted was — War!

His bloodlust has still not been satiated after the mass murder of over 40,000 innocent people in Gaza, including 17,000 children. He wanted more!

That is why he engineered the pager explosions in Lebanon.

The explosions happened suddenly, and for no apparent rhyme or reason. It killed scores of ordinary people, and injured, often very seriously, thousands of others, including children.

Torso, limbs, faces, simply vanished. Some people were alive, but rendered without limbs or crucial part of their bodies, for all their condemned lives.

So why did Israel do it, and without any immediate provocation from the Hezbollah?

It is well-known that after the deadly attack by the Hamas around this time last year, on October 7, in which 1200 people were killed in the occupied territory of Israel, besides minor skirmishes, no major attacks were initiated from either side — either by Hezbollah or Israel. There was strong restraint by Hezbollah in Lebanon, despite the daily bombings and killings of ordinary citizens in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Israel has claimed that eight of its soldiers have been killed in the ground offensive in southern Lebanon. Observers believe that the number of dead can be many times more. It is tough to defeat the Hezbollah on its own turf on the ground. Even with air power, Israel will find it difficult to score strategic victories. Surely, it remembers the lessons after its invasion in 2006 in Lebanon.

Instead, Hezbollah was pushing for ceasefire talks, and is still insisting that it will not stop this ongoing conflict till the time Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza.

Iran, Yemen and Syria, are perhaps the only three countries in the Middle-East which are openly opposed to Tel Aviv. Turkey is a NATO member, and has been vehemently opposing the war machine of the Israelis since day one. The rest live in either La La Land, or, are stooges of the US.

Indeed, even Iran kept its sanity and refused to get involved, though the whole world knows that it is the principle supporter of both Hamas and Hezbollah, and supplies sophisticated arms to both the underground armies. Iran also backs the Houthis of Yemen, who have consistently attacked Israel, and western ships on the Red Sea, thereby disrupting a major trade route, again and again. Indeed, the regime in Iran has kept its counsel, and, despite provocations, it refused to enter the conflict.

Instead, Iran, under the new president, seem to be seeking reconciliation with the US. With its economy in a terrible shape, and mass anger in cities and towns against the brutality unleashed on thousands of women who led a mass uprising against the forcible imposition of Hijab, and extremely low turn-out in successive polling signaling mass discontent, the fundamentalist regime wanted to get back on its feet. Most of all it wanted American sanctions to be lifted yet again, first lifted by Barack Obama, and, then, reimposed by Donald Trump.

Certainly, they did not want to be drawn into any internatinional conflict, especially a full-fledged war with Israel. Indeed, huge protests against the massacre in Gaza were not allowed in Tehran and elsewhere, because the government was afraid that it will be captured by democratic forces, especially those who were at the forefront of the women’s uprising for ‘freedom, democracy and justice’.

What got its goat are two major developments which happened recently. That seemed to be the first and foremost reason behind the flurry of 180 ballistic missiles fired on Israel, including on military installations, and, reportedly, on urban areas as well, as a section of the Western media has claimed. Iran has categorically stated that it has only targeted military installations in Israel.

First was the post-midnight assassination of top Hamas commander. Ismail Haniyeh, right inside a high-security VIP area in Tehran. Besides, he had retired to bed, after attending the swearing-in ceremony of the new president of Iran, as an invited dignitary.

This was like a direct assault on the dignity of a nation! A slap on its face! Iran wowed revenge — but refused to act. Clearly, it was playing its cards too close to its chest — given the explosive circumstances prevailing in the Middle East.

So much so, there was a wave of disquiet within Iran at the tactical silence adopted by the regime, despite such brazen provocation. Observers believe that even the Houthis, and others in the ‘Axis of Resistance’, seemed to feel that something was awry. The establishment in Tehran was quick to get the signal.

The assassination of Hezobollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, known to be extremely close to Iran, seemed to be the turning point. That is why, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that the missile attack on Israel was a direct response to Nasrullah’s murder, and for the assassination in July of the Hamas political leader.

According to observers, a full-scale war will spell disaster for all concerned in the region, even those who seemed to be looking the other way. The ballistic missiles fired on Israel is also an indication that Iran might be loaded with nuclear missiles in the future — and it is quite possible. With Israel adamant, and on the edge, and with Hezbollah still waiting with its huge arsenal still intact, only de-esclation and peace is a rational solution. It’s time the Americans, and its Western lackeys, realize this crucial fact.

This is because, as the history of the region tells us, no war ever ends. All wars will find a new content and character. It’s the people, ordinary folks, who will continue to suffer, this infinite tragedy, and this relentless injustice. For no fault of theirs at all!

The picture above is from Tehran.