Israel starts war against Iran again

Middle East

Israel starts war against Iran again

After the Israeli pre-emptive strike against Iran there is a state of emergency. What role does the USA play – and how does Tehran react to the attacks?

Israel attacks Iran again. The State of Israel has launched a preemptive strike against Iran to eliminate threats to Israel, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced. According to the Israeli TV channel N12, the USA is taking part in the ally’s attacks. There was initially no confirmation of this.

Washington and Tehran had already negotiated Iran’s controversial nuclear program last year before Israel attacked Iran. The USA joined the airstrikes and bombed central nuclear facilities. Iran’s air force then fired ballistic missiles at Israel.

Katz now announced that he had declared an immediate state of emergency throughout the country. Sirens wailed all over Israel. In the Iranian capital Tehran there were explosions in the city center.

Israel had already waged war against Iran last year. The new attack comes just two days after another round of negotiations between the United States and Iran over the Islamic Republic’s controversial nuclear program.

There was no breakthrough in the talks in Geneva. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened the Iranian leadership with military attacks in recent weeks – also against the background of the brutal crackdown by the Iranian security apparatus against the protests at the beginning of the year. Trump recently gave Iran an ultimatum until early March. “Either we reach an agreement or it will be unfortunate for them.”

The USA wants to prevent the leadership in Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran’s government recently expressed its willingness to limit its nuclear program, but in return is demanding the lifting of tough economic sanctions. The USA is Israel’s most important ally.

Iran’s leadership recently emphasized its readiness for an agreement as well as military escalation. President Massoud Peseschkian threatened an “all-out war” if religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was attacked. Khamenei himself warned the US at the beginning of February: “The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war.” Iran does not want war and will not start one, said the religious leader, who has the final say in all strategic matters in Tehran.