War in the Middle East: Israel does not oppose a resumption of the conflict and new strikes on Iran

While Donald Trump backed down Monday from a new attack on Iran, Benjamin Netanyahu sees the resumption of conflict with a positive eye. In the midst of his campaign, the Israeli Prime Minister knows that his war objectives have not been achieved.

Will the war in Iran resume? Donald Trump announced on Monday, May 18, the last minute cancellation of an attack on Iran at the request of Gulf countries. It was scheduled for Tuesday, May 19, but the American president had never mentioned it before. One thing is certain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain are on the front lines and fear a new escalation. This is not the case for Israel and its government, which would not view a resumption of conflict unfavorably.

The war objectives announced by Benjamin Netanyahu have not been achieved and the nuclear program has not been dismantled. The nearly 500 kilograms of quasi-nuclear grade uranium still remain in Iran. According to the American press, Tehran has reconstituted part of its stock of ballistic missiles and moved its launchers. The regime is still in place, along with its allies in the region, including Hezbollah, which has not surrendered and continues, with its drones, to harass Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.

For now, from the Israeli perspective, the Iran campaign is a failure and the Prime Minister cannot afford, in the middle of an election year, to appear without having kept his commitments. This also explains his assertiveness, especially as the political risk is limited because the war against Iran is still largely supported by a public opinion convinced of facing an existential threat.

On the defensive side, Israel is preparing to face a possible Iranian retaliation. At the end of March, after about twenty days of war, the Israeli anti-aircraft defense struggled to deal with the Iranian missile salvos. Tehran used sub-munitions, very difficult to destroy, and sent projectiles capable of passing through the defenses. Since then, Israel has been preparing for what’s next. The production lines of Arrow interceptor missiles, adapted to the ballistic threat, are operating at full capacity. Proof of this was seen on Sunday evening when a huge ball of fire illuminated the sky of Ramla in central Israel. Residents panicked and filmed, wondering if the war had resumed. In reality, it was an engine test to propel anti-missile missiles. A unique nighttime test, as typically this type of exercise is done during the day without projecting light and more discreetly. A sign that Israel is getting ready for a new war while waiting for a decision from the only decision-maker, American President Donald Trump.