This weekend, we are once again forced to confront the grim spectre of widening war in the Middle East.
Israel’s massive and highly co-ordinated airstrike on Iran this week, targeting uranium enrichment facilities, missile factories, nuclear scientists and key military figures, marks a dangerous escalation in a region already teetering on the edge. It may prove to be one of the most consequential military actions in recent years, although it is too early to know what those consequences will be.
What makes this attack all the more significant is not just its scale, but the geopolitical context. Israel acted unilaterally. Despite direct appeals from US president Donald Trump not to proceed, prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu authorised the operation.
The US, clearly forewarned, evacuated its personnel from vulnerable sites but refused to participate. Secretary of state Marco Rubio’s statement that the US was not involved and is now focused on protecting American forces reads as not just a disclaimer but a warning: America’s willingness to be drawn into another regional war is limited.
Irish-based French father and daughter dead after stabbing in Iceland
Teens accused of ‘savagely’ beating man (60s) in south Dublin burglary freed due to lack of detention spaces
Rory Stewart: Britons’ view of Ireland has gone from ‘patronising superiority to complete ignorance’
‘You can now carry your shopping if you spend €50-€60. That’s absolutely crazy’
Iran’s response remains unknown, though its military capacity has been diminished over recent years. Despite its tactical limitations, it remains capable of various forms of retaliation.
What should trouble the international community most is Netanyahu’s decision to escalate at a moment when the region remains deeply unstable. The slaughter in Gaza continues, while Syria, Iraq and Lebanon are fragile. The Gulf states are watching developments with deep unease. This move risks dragging all of them into a far broader conflict.
It’s important, too, to remember the road that brought us here. In 2018, Netanyahu played a pivotal role in persuading Trump to abandon the JCPOA, the nuclear deal that had placed real limits on Iran’s ambitions in exchange for sanctions relief. Its collapse reignited the nuclear crisis that now threatens to spiral out of control.
This week’s Israeli airstrikes almost certainly kill off any remaining hope of the new agreement with Iran that Trump’s team had been quietly pursuing. That may, in fact, have been Netanyahu’s goal.
If so, it is a dangerous gamble. And if it leads to a new war, the cost will be measured not in strategic gains, but in lives lost, and in a region further engulfed in misery.
Ruadhán Mac Cormaic
Editor
Five Key Reads
- A Gaeltacht tragedy: ‘I never would have sent her if I thought anything was wrong’: One year ago, 14-year-old Amelia Belle Ferguson collapsed while out on a hike on one of her last days at an Irish college in Connemara. When they saw her on the ground with her shoulders shaking, her friends thought Amelia was just laughing at herself for falling over. But Amelia’s heart was failing.
- A day in the Bere Island school where classes take place on the beach: Children at Bere Island’s two-room primary school go nature-spotting on the beach and mixed-age groups play in the yard. Rosita Boland joined them for a day.
- Man questioned in Michael Gaine murder inquiry says he made Garda ombudsman complaint: The American questioned and arrested in the investigation into the murder of Kerry farmer Michael Gaine has confirmed that he complained to Fiosrú, the Office of the Police Ombudsman, about his treatment by gardaí. In an interview with The Irish Times, Michael Kelley also talks about his military service and seeking political asylum in Ireland.
- Leinster clinch their first silverware in four years. An impressive victory over the Bulls at Croke Park secured the URC title for Leo Cullen’s side. John O’Sullivan was there and picks out five things we learned from the match.
- Housing scramble for younger buyers becoming ever more fraught: There is one key question at the heart of housing policy that remains lost in a fog, writes Cliff Taylor. It is a surprisingly simple one. Where and how do we want people to live?
Dublin knocked Derry out of the football championship on Saturday night, as Galway kept themselves in the hunt for Sam Maguire with victory over Armagh. This afternoon, Mayo’s season is on the line against Donegal. Get the best analysis of the fallout from the GAA weekend every Monday in our new newsletter, Inside Gaelic Games.
As always, there is much more on irishtimes.com, including rundowns of all the latest movies in our film reviews, tips for the best restaurants in our food section and all the latest in sport. There are plenty more articles exclusively available for Irish Times subscribers here.
We value your views. Please feel free to send comments, feedback or suggestions for topics you would like to see covered to feedback@irishtimes.com.
