The US and Israel’s New “Secret” Anti-Iran Plans
While Russia strives to
move Syria on from a stage of war and bloody anarchy to one of peace,
stability and reconstruction — by inviting all parties to next month’s
Sochi conference to agree a
roadmap including a new constitution and
presidential and parliamentary elections – the US and Israel are drawing
up plans to detonate the region and plunge it into new wars on the
pretext of confronting the Iranian threat.
Israel’s Channel 10 has
revealed that a secret agreement was reached on 12 December, following
talks between Israeli national security advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat and his US counterpart H R McMaster,
for the two sides to take action and devise scenarios against Iran on
several fronts. This reportedly entails measures aimed at curbing Iran’s
nuclear and missile capabilities, rolling back its presence in Syria,
and confronting its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon. The White House later
confirmed the existence of the agreement after news of it was leaked to
media.
Two major developments are
expected to unfold in the region in the new year. First, the collapse of
the Islamic State (IS) and its loss of most of its territory in Syria,
and secondly, the defeat of the American project in Syria. This was
based on using armed opposition groups to topple the regime of President Bashar al-Asad,
and was thwarted by the Syrian Arab army’s steadfastness, the
intervention of Russia, and the support of allies like Iran and
Hezbollah, putting Syria on the threshold of a new phase of national
reconciliation and renewal.
Against this backdrop, the
current US administration fears its influence in the region is receding
in favour of Russia and China and of regional powers such as Iran and
Turkey. The Israeli occupation state, for is part, is alarmed by the
strength of Hezbollah and its growing military capabilities, and fears
the consequences of it emerging triumphant from the Syrian conflict and
being able to devote is attention fully to confronting the Israeli
threat and opening new attrition fronts against it in South Lebanon and
southwestern Syria.
Neither Channel 10 nor the
White House gave away details of the plans and scenarios that the US and
Israel might pursue against Iran and Hezbollah. But it is obvious that
one of these scenarios is to try to destabilize Iran from within by
engineering disturbances or protests and activating a number of armed
separatist groups. Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin-Salman,
one of the Trump administration’s closest Middle Eastern allies, said
as much openly in a TV interview some months ago. He warned his country
was going to ‘take the war inside Iran’ as a pre-emptive measure –
meaning before Iran tries to take the ‘war’ into Saudi Arabia. It would
not be surprising if the demonstrations held on Friday in several
Iranian towns in protest at inflation were in some part a product of
that strategy.
It is doubtful that any US
and Israeli scheme to remove Iran and its influence from Syria and
Lebanon would stand much chance of succeeding, unless it envisages
all-out war. Even then, it would be a dangerous gamble that could have
catastrophic consequences, particularly for the Israeli occupation
state. If the US’ Patriot missiles were unable to intercept the handful
of home-made rockets fired by Yemen’s Houthis against Saudi cities,
Israel’s Iron Dome system is unlikely to fare better against Hezbollah’s
more advanced and accurate missiles, especially if they are fired in
their hundreds, if not thousands, against Israeli cities.
The threat faced by Israel
has been compounded. The main threat is from within: from the stirring
of a new Palestinian uprising and the prospect of it developing into a
campaign of armed resistance. This is not unlikely given the recent
firing of missiles from the Gaza Strip at Israeli settlements to is
north, and the emergence into the open of Hamas and Islamic Jihad’s
alliance with Iran – with Qasem Soleimani, head of the
Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Brigade, boasting of having been in
direct contact with the two Palestinian Islamist groups’ military
commanders.
Israel and the US’ threats
may be tantamount to psychological warfare, or they could be aimed at
reassuring their frightened Arab allies and prompting them to spend tens
of billions more dollars on American weaponry. Either the way, the
coming year may prove to be a frightening one for the US and its Israeli
ally. They may try their luck, but the outcomes will definitely not be
to their liking. For the region is changing — and fast.
*Featured image is from the author.
The original source of this article is Raialyoum
Copyright © Abdel Bari Atwan, Raialyoum, 2018
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