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By Ian Parmeter, Research Scholar, Middle East Studies, Australian National University Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel’s attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities could last for at least two weeks. His timing seems precise for a reason. The Israel Defence Forces and the country’s intelligence agencies have clearly devised a methodical, step-by-step campaign. Israeli … Continue reading “destroying Iran’s nuclear program and regime change. Are either achievable?”
By Matt Fitzpatrick, Professor in International History, Flinders University In the late 1960s, the prevailing opinion among Israeli Shin Bet intelligence officers was that the key to defeating the Palestinian Liberation Organisation was to assassinate its then-leader Yasser Arafat. The elimination of Arafat, the Shin Bet commander Yehuda Arbel wrote in his diary, was “a … Continue reading “from the Middle East to America, history shows you cannot assassinate your way to peace”
By Kaitlin Cook, DECRA Fellow, Department of Nuclear Physics and Accelerator Applications, Australian National University Late last week, Israel targeted three of Iran’s key nuclear facilities – Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow, killing several Iranian nuclear scientists. The facilities are heavily fortified and largely underground, and there are conflicting reports of how much damage has been … Continue reading “What is uranium enrichment and how is it used for nuclear bombs? A scientist explains”
By Brian Brivati, Visiting Professor of Contemporary History and Human Rights, Kingston University Israel’s large-scale attack against Iran on June 13, which it conducted without UN security council approval, has prompted retaliation from Tehran. Both sides have traded strikes over the past few days, with over 200 Iranians and 14 Israelis killed so far. The … Continue reading “why 2025 is a turning point for the international order”
By Benjamin Zala, Senior Lecturer, Politics & International Relations, Monash University Conflict between Israel and Iran is intensifying, after Israeli airstrikes on key nuclear sites and targeted assassinations last week were followed by counter-strikes by Iran on Israel. These attacks have come at a moment of growing concern over Iran’s nuclear program, and have prompted … Continue reading “Why is there so much concern over Iran’s nuclear program? And where could it go from here?”
By Andrew Thomas, Lecturer in Middle East Studies, Deakin University The timing and targets of Israel’s attacks on Iran tell us that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s short-term goal is to damage Iran’s nuclear facilities in order to severely diminish its weapons program. But Netanyahu has made clear another goal: he said the war with Iran … Continue reading “Regime change wouldn’t likely bring democracy to Iran. A more threatening force could fill the vacuum”
By David Tuffley, Senior Lecturer in Applied Ethics & CyberSecurity, Griffith University Earlier today, Iranian officials urged the country’s citizens to remove the messaging platform WhatsApp from their smartphones. Without providing any supporting evidence, they alleged the app gathers user information to send to Israel. WhatsApp has rejected the allegations. In a statement to Associated … Continue reading “Can a foreign government hack WhatsApp? A cybersecurity expert explains how that might work”
More than 300 Pakistani families, students and pilgrims arrived at the Taftan land border crossing with Iran in the early hours of …
By Jeffrey Fields, Professor of the Practice of International Relations, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Relations between the United States and Iran have been fraught for decades – at least since the U.S. helped overthrow a democracy-minded prime minister, Mohammed Mossadegh, in August 1953. The U.S. then supported the long, repressive reign … Continue reading “US and Iran have a long, complicated history, spanning far beyond Israel’s strikes on Tehran”
By Shannon Bosch, Associate Professor (Law), Edith Cowan University Israel’s major military operation against Iran has targeted its nuclear program, including its facilities and scientists, as well as its military leadership. In response, the United Nations Security Council has quickly convened an emergency sitting. There, the Israeli ambassador to the UN Danny Danon defended Israel’s … Continue reading “Are Israel’s actions in Iran illegal? Could it be called self-defence? An international law expert explains”