Why Did Israel Strike Iran Now?

Israel attacked Iran this month because it believed Iran was close to getting a nuclear weapon, and that threatened Israel’s existence.

But why does Iran want to eliminate Israel?
Was it close to developing a nuclear weapon?
Why did Israel attack now? Why not earlier or later?
Was there any other way?
What does all this say about the outcome of the war?

These are the questions we’re going to answer today, starting with the most fundamental.

Why does Iran want to eradicate Israel?

This was not always the case. Israel and Iran were allies during the last shah’s reign. So why did Iran turn on Israel?

In 1979, the Iranian Revolution pushed out Shah Pahlavi, and a new state emerged: an Islamic theocratic republic that declared the West as its enemy, particularly Israel and the US. Iran’s fifth goal stated in its constitution aims at:

…the complete elimination of imperialism and the prevention of foreign influence.

Why?

The Great Game

In the 19th Century, the British and Russia fought for dominance in Central Asia. One of the theaters of this fight was Iran…