Preemptive Strike or Act of War? Israel Attacked Iran Amid Sinking Global Support for Assault on Gaza

Israel is intensifying its war on Iran, bombing the headquarters of the country’s national TV network on Monday and assassinating another top military leader. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also suggested killing Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has responded with barrages of long-range missiles targeting Israel. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has shown little interest in containing Israel’s assault, posting on social media that “everyone should immediately evacuate” the capital Tehran.

“How can a city, a metropolis of 10 million people, suddenly evacuate? And to where?” says Iranian American journalist Negar Mortazavi. She notes that while Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is civilian in nature, these attacks could push the leadership into militarizing it and pursuing nuclear weapons.

We also speak with Israeli political analyst Ori Goldberg, who says the war on Iran has allowed Israel’s establishment to “draw the world’s attention away from Gaza,” countering rising domestic and international criticism. “Netanyahu felt the global sentiment shifting … and because of that, he attacked Iran.”