Why has Israel attacked Iran?

[AutumnArrow]

Does anyone have understanding of the current situation?
I can't see the logic behind attacking such a strong country, which whilst it may have been a threat was currently not actively attacking them?
Is it a play to try and drag other countries into fighting as allies?

Because they have gotten away with committing genocide, so have nothing to lose.

Netanyahu has been threatening Iran for years and he needs to keep Israel in a perpetual state of war especially now he's got Trump in office. I have no idea what the end game is because he's stirring up a hornets nest, but he seems to be completely deranged.

Because Iran is frighteningly close to developing nuclear weapons. And they have openly said they want to wipe Israel out completely.
The International Atomic Energy Agency found Iran non-compliant for the first time in 20 years. Iran are doing something!

They are funding Hamas and Hezballah to commit acts of terror against Israeli citizens. They fund terrorism globally, including here in the UK.

Honestly Iran are not good guys in any way shape or form. Neither are Israel.

It's their neighbours I feel sorry for, being piggy in the middle as misses fly above their citizens.

I was reading up on this too, couldn't work out why Israel attacked Iran on Friday morning.

I'm surprised at the lack of casualties so far - less than 10. Whereas Israel have almost wiped out Gaza and killed thousands and thousands there. Seems to be deliberate - if he had wiped out civilians in Iran I guess they would have retaliated back harder.

I would guess the difference is they're "targeting" hamas, but hamas members aren't exactly easy to track down whereas they had set targets unaware in Iran. So the lack of civilian casualties there does make sense.
But it just seems like insanity unless they have actually removed their ability to create nuclear weapons.

That slightly makes sense. Though are nuclear weapons hard to make? I assumed it was knowledge that was lacking rather than resources so if they've reached a certain point in developing them wouldn't they just remake them somewhere else? And then have a "justification" for using them too

Israel are firing on iran's nuclear development plants aren't they?
Surely that's dangerous ?
Or am I just getting things wrong and misunderstanding ?

Such ignorance stated with such confidence.

Iran has been attacking Israel via its proxies for years and its leaders have stated that they would like to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. With nuclear weapons they could finally achieve their long-worked for goal.

The whole justification for their actions in Gaza was "Well, they started it".

Anybody who starts a war can easily say that they fear what the country they attack might intend to do to them, just like you could grab somebody in the street and beat them to a pulp, out of 'genuine concern' that they might have planned to do the same to you. Blair did just that - and was rewarded for it with a knighthood.

I guess Israel have now lost any pretence of being the poor beleaguered victims who are only retaliating.

Aren't nuclear weapons effectively developed purely for willy-waving purposes - whereby it's one thing to have them (or claim to have them), but they all know that actually using them would be game over for everybody?

We know that Israel have nuclear weapons, with their major ally having immense amounts as well; so they can't genuinely believe that they are poor little defenceless victims?

5 countries invaded Israel the day it was created.

You do understand that there are many people in the region who don't want, and have never wanted Israel to even exist?

What do you think the Iron Dome is for? Why do you think Israeli houses are built with safe rooms?

Yadda, yadda, yadda. He's a mad dog, acting unilaterally during peace talks. He has no respect for international law and he's bombing the fuck out of the ME with impunity. He's a genocidal maniac who'll have to raze the ME to the ground in order to achieve his aims. Only the irrational can rationalise him.

What Netanyahu is doing in Gaza (and indeed the West Bank) is abhorrent.

But Iran are not innocent victims and it is batshit to suggest so. Total lack of understanding of the politics of the region.

Please quote where I said Iran were innocent.

OP, you seem to be new to this issue. There are quite a few good explainers kicking round on this. It's essentially about Iran's nuclear capabilities/facilities, and its stated goal of destroying Israel, and whether one is to do with the other. And Iran's v unpopular authoritarian hardline regime. And Iran's funding of anti-Israel proxies. Iran and Israel have been making threats against each other for years.

But if your question is more, why now? then there are actually some decent explainers on msm. You need to read a few different ones to get a balanced picture, as clearly there is not a lot of agreement when it comes to Israel/Iran.

High unemployment & too much religion.

Killing each other in the name of their god is just what people in that part of the world do. It’s what they have always done. It’s deeply ingrained in their history, mindset & identity, and is a fundamental part of their culture. It has been going on for centuries and there is absolutely nothing anyone in this country can say or do to stop it or prevent it.

The best thing we can do is arm both sides, making as much money as possible in the process, and let them fight it out. Because the fewer religious fundamentalist nutcases in the world the better.

Hate and despise what Israel is doing in Gaza. But delighted to see Israel destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities and take out leading military figures with pin-point precision. Iran is an evil, terrifying state that oppresses all its female citizens and funds terrorism globally. Only recently Iranian hitmen were jailed for trying to murder an Iranian women’s rights activist in the US. I’m only sorry they didn’t get the Supreme Leader. Hope he’s living in the terror he inflicts on his own population.

Iran was reportedly just 3-4 days away from nuclear capability.
It’s terrifying to think of this appalling, regressive regime coming so close.

Give them a couple of years and they'll be at it again, except they won't be making any peace deals as they evidently don't mean anything.

Because Iran fund and arm Hamas among other terrorists and want to wipe Israel and all Jews off the face of the earth. They are religious fundamentalists who hate democracy, women, gays and anyone not in their cult

in no scenario are Iran the good guys or the victims.

Short version, because Iran has made no bones about declaring that it is hellbent on destroying Israel and they were on the brink of becoming a nuclear power.

A lot of commentary has implicated state actors in the 7 October attacks.

eg www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/hamas-iran-relationship

The Supreme Leader is 85. They may feel it’s more productive to take out potential replacements as well as military and nuclear chiefs.

It seems like a good moment for Israel strategically as they have massively weakened/wiped out so many of Iran’s proxies, Syria no longer has Assad in charge, and Russia is kind of busy. I don’t claim
to understand the whole picture nor the complexities in the region. However, it’s pretty hard to argue that the Iranian regime is good for anyone - least of all Iranians.

Yes poor brave defenseless lovely Iran

Israel cannot wipe out Iran’s nuclear capabilities as it’s too far underground (I read in the news today). I think it’s crazy. They are just going to make Iran more determined than ever to be a nuclear power and destabilise the region. Israel is just another rogue state now and I hope the British government doesn’t support them on this. They need a new government and I hope their realise that as I think they have an election soon.