Israel’s brave strike after Iran expands nuclear push

Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, is off to a strong start. A direct hit on Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps headquarters killed the extremist theocracy’s military commander-in-chief, Hossein Salami, and its chief-of-staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri. At least six nuclear scientists died in the early strikes. Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed, predictably, that Israel would suffer a “bitter and painful” fate in retaliation for the attacks.

Difficult repercussions for many Israelis are almost inevitable, unfortunately. As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concedes, Iran “has significant capabilities to harm us” and Rising Lion will last as long as necessary to eliminate the danger of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.

Should Israel’s mission succeed, the Western world, including Australia, the US, Arab nations and our allies, will benefit from the courage of the Israelis, especially the brave pilots who flew the attack aircraft deep into Iran. If they succeed, they will render the Middle East and much of the world safer.

For decades, Iran has dedicated itself to annihilating the Jewish state. In view of that, and Iran’s rapacious ambition to be a nuclear power, Israel deserves better from a longstanding ally, Australia, urging “dialogue” and Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s weasel words on Friday.

While acknowledging the threat of Iran’s nuclear program, she said: “Australia is alarmed by the escalation between Israel and Iran. This risks further destabilising a region that is already volatile. We call on all parties to refrain from actions and rhetoric that would further exacerbate tensions.” Nor should Americans and the West forget Iran’s effort to assassinate Donald Trump last year.

Justified as it is, the latest conflict could have a long way to run. Iran’s retaliation began on Friday afternoon, Australian time, with Israel intercepting more than 100 attack drones. After 20 months of trauma following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that was heavily backed by Iran, citizens of the Jewish state, who desperately want to live in peace, are anticipating potential loss of life and destruction.

But they can take encouragement because, as Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz says, after devastating Iran’s proxies over the past year Israel is now “dealing with the head of the snake itself”, slaying Iran’s top military chiefs. The attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities was widely anticipated.

But in moving sooner than many expected and lulling Tehran into a false sense of security with reports Mr Netanyahu was set to take a brief family holiday in Galilee, the Israel Defence Forces made good use of the element of surprise to maximise the impact of the first strikes.

The rationale for the action is clear. Announcing the attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites, Mr Netanyahu told Israelis that last year Iran launched 300 ballistic missiles at their country, each carrying a tonne of explosives, threatening hundreds of lives.

“Soon, those missiles could carry nuclear warheads, putting not hundreds but millions at risk,” he said. “Iran is preparing to produce tens of thousands of these missiles within three years. Now, imagine – imagine 10,000 tons of TNT falling on a country the size of New Jersey. This is an intolerable threat. It must be stopped.”

Eighty years after the Nazi Holocaust, the Jewish state refused to be the victim of a nuclear holocaust, he said. On Thursday, Mr Netanyahu put a note on the Western Wall in Jerusalem, quoting the Book of Numbers 23:24: “Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion.” On the same day, Iran announced it would open a third uranium enrichment site.

That followed the International Atomic Energy Agency passing a censure resolution, 19-3, and declaring for the first time in 20 years that Iran was not compliant with IAEA safeguard rules. The resolution, pushed by the US and European IAEA members, was opposed by Russia, China and Burkina Faso.

The catalyst for the vote was Iran’s refusal for six years to explain the presence of undeclared nuclear material in the country. In a defiant and aggressive response, Iranian atomic agency head Mohammad Eslami said Tehran would accelerate production of near-weapons-grade uranium. Iran’s enrichment sites, south of Tehran, were built to protect them from airstrikes. One site, hit by Israel early on Friday, is underground at Natanz; another is deep in a mountainside near Qom.

A third site would help Iran speed up its deadly program. IAEA data shows it has enough highly enriched uranium to make 10 nuclear weapons. As Israel fights for its existence, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres’s one-sided complaints about it targeting Iran’s sites are ridiculous.

In view of Iran’s unsavoury alliances, including supporting Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, the West has a major stake in Israel destroying Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Nine months ago, the US Defence Department confirmed Iran had supplied close-range ballistic missiles to Russia. Iran is also part of the Chinese-dominated BRICS alliance. As Peter Jennings writes, Mr Netanyahu saw a decisive opportunity to strike Iran and he’s going for broke. It is in Australia’s interest that he succeeds.