We explain why Israel chose this moment to attack Iran.
By German Lopez
One way to look at Israel’s war with Iran is that it’s a natural escalation of the battles that the Jewish state has fought since the Oct. 7 attack. Israel has leveled much of Gaza to destroy Hamas, which is backed by Iran. It bombed Lebanon and Yemen to counter Hezbollah and the Houthi militia, both of which are also backed by Iran. Now, instead of focusing on proxies, Israel is taking its fight directly to Iran.
But the timing matters. After all, the conflict between Israel and Iran isn’t new. Iran’s leaders have called for Israel’s destruction for decades. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has characterized Iran as an existential threat for decades. Western officials have debated the wisdom of a pre-emptive attack on Iran’s nuclear program for decades.
What’s new is that Israel now believes it can win.
