Counterattack by Israel

“Iran threatens: do it and we’ll set the world on fire”

(Bild: krone.tv)

Following Iran's missile attack on Israel last Tuesday, everything now depends on Israel's counter-reaction, explains Iran researcher Walter Posch. The Israelis are considering attacks on Iran's energy supply, such as nuclear and oil facilities. If Israel were to target the latter, this would have serious consequences: "Iran says: do it and we'll set the world on fire."

A potential Israeli counter-attack on Iran's oil facilities would have fatal consequences, explains the Iran expert in the krone.tv talk. "It's really about the economic survival of a sanctioned country". Iran has announced that it will definitely strike back. "They will then see all the oil facilities in the neighborhood as victims, because the Arab states and the USA, which are partly involved in Saudi oil with American companies, will not hold back the Israelis. They will say that this will not be an attack that we attribute to the Israelis alone, but that we expect the USA to do the same. At the moment, what is coming out of Tehran is: 'Yes, go ahead and do it and we'll set the world on fire, because economically the West won't survive it either'."

Threats must be taken seriously
This could be dismissed as propaganda, says Posch. "But two years ago, I wouldn't have believed that the Iranians would actually go so far as to attack Israel. So we've already crossed the Rubicon a few times now, so I take the statements from Tehran, which until recently I would have classified as pure propaganda and encouragement, more seriously."

Iran expert Walter Posch from the Institute for Peacekeeping and Conflict Management at the National Defense Academy

(Bild: krone.tv)

Compromise solution also possible
According to Posch, however, there could also be another solution that goes beyond an attack. The fact is that the USA does not want a war against Iran and the Iranians do not want a war against the USA. It would therefore also be possible for the Israelis to refrain from an attack and for a tougher international sanctions regime to be introduced against Iran instead. "That would be a potential compromise solution. But then there really has to be more and more blocking than is the case now."

Watch the full interview with Walter Posch on the current situation in the Middle East in the video above!