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Shadow war between Iran and Israel

Published : Wednesday, 21 April, 2021 at 12:00 AM  Count : 1188

Shadow war between Iran and Israel

Shadow war between Iran and Israel

Iran and Israel are two longtime enemies of the Middle East. An undeclared shadow war between them now seems to have intensified. A mysterious explosion occurred last week at Iran's most important uranium refinery in Natanz. Natanz is about two hundred and fifty kilometers south of Tehran. The nuclear power plant was left without electricity in that incident.

Iran has described it as "subversive." Israeli media quoted intelligence sources as saying that it was the result of an Israeli cyber attack. However, Israel did not directly comment on the incident. Iran has said they will retaliate at any time they choose.

There was also a fire at the Natanz Centrifuge Installation Center in July last year. Iran called the attack sabotage. The Iranian incident comes at a time when diplomatic efforts are underway to revive a 2015 nuclear deal. The United States pulled out of the deal under Donald Trump.

This incident of Natanz is not an isolated incident. The two countries have gradually increased the level of their hostility and retaliatory measures in various fields. If the war breaks out, it will be devastating for the two countries. So avoiding it, they have intensified their cold-fighting.

Although Iran has repeatedly assured that its nuclear program will be used for peaceful civilian purposes, Israel does not believe it. Israel is convinced that Iran is secretly developing nuclear weapons. It will be usable by ballistic missiles. As a result, Israel has taken the path of resistance through sabotage. Israel has smuggled a computer virus with the code name Stuxnet into Iran. It was first known in 2010. The virus rendered the centrifuge of Iran's nuclear plant useless.

Moreover, several Iranian nuclear scientists died mysteriously at the beginning of this century. Even Mohsin Fakhrizadeh, Iran's top nuclear scientist, was killed in an assassination attempt near Tehran in November last year. Iran signed an international nuclear deal in 2015 called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA). After the agreement was signed, the sanctions imposed on Iran were lifted.

But in 2018, President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the deal and reimposed tougher sanctions on Iran. The United States has said that Iran has repeatedly violated the terms of the agreement. They worked to enrich uranium in particular. Thus, as highly refined uranium is used for nuclear fuel, it is also likely to be used to make weapons.

However, President Joe Biden wants to bring America back into the deal. He made it a condition that Iran agrees to abide by the terms of the agreement. Iran says: "No, we do not trust you. You fulfil your promise first. Lift the sanctions first. Then we will abide by the terms of the agreement."

Negotiators from several countries are meeting in Vienna to try to end the stalemate. Israel is now skeptical about the rationale for restoring the previous agreement. Analysts believe that is why they have planned to disrupt the talks by attacking Natanz.

Even before this incident, Iran and Israel had faced each other on several fronts. Earlier this year, the Israeli cargo ship MV Helios was severely damaged while passing through the Gulf of Oman. Suddenly two huge holes appeared in the main part of the ship. Israel immediately blamed Iran's Revolutionary Guards for this. Iran says it had no hand in it.

Shadow war between Iran and Israel

Shadow war between Iran and Israel

Earlier in April, an Iranian ship, the Saviz, which was anchored in the South Red Sea, was damaged by an accident. It is believed that the damage was caused by a missile. Iran blamed Israel. According to a report, in the last 18 months, the Israeli military has targeted 12 ships bound for Syria. The ships were carrying Iranian oil and military supplies.

Fighting inside Syria for the past ten years has turned a blind eye to Israeli military activity there. At times, Iranian Revolutionary Guards have also attacked the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights near the border. Iran's ability to supply rockets and missiles capable of hitting accurate targets at long distances, such as hitting Israeli cities, is of particular concern to Israel.

In response, Israel has carried out numerous airstrikes on Iranian military bases and supply routes inside Syria. But Iran has so far shown no sign of backing down. So, there is no signs yet of the end of this shadow war. At its root is the fact that the situation is on the brink of war. Neither side wants to prove itself weak. But both Iran and Israel know it would be wise for them to take such a step, where a full-fledged war would not occur, but tensions would remain.
The writer is pursuing LLB, University of Rajshahi









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