Brian | September 29, 2024 at 11:28 am
[QUOTE] Israel now finds itself with the threat from Gaza mostly neutralized and the opportunity to neutralize Hezbollah in the north. It’s unfortunate how we got here but maybe there can be a silver lining in the end. [/QUOTE]

Yes, I view the two, Hamas and Hezbollah, as the Iranian equivalent of a “fleet in being.”

A “fleet in being” is a naval force that extends a controlling influence without ever leaving port. Were the fleet to leave port and face the enemy, it might lose in battle and no longer influence the enemy’s actions, but while it remains safely in port, the enemy is forced to continually deploy forces to guard against it.” (Wikipedia)

Iran has lost the influence of it’s “fleet in being” as a force that could deter Israel.

So Iran is now isolated – naked as a Jaybird, one might say, to he whims or plans of Israel.

Brian in reply to Brian. | September 29, 2024 at 11:51 am
I might also suggest that under the Biden/Harris administration, the US removed sanctions from Iran and paid several billion $$ to them in ransom for a few Iranian/US hostages, and has consistently urged Israel to restrain itself and substitute negotiations and a ceasefire for definitive kinetic military operations.

If that wasn’t enough (!) to convince Israel that the US was an Iranian asset, Kamala’s snubbing of Netanyahu when he was in the US in favor of her addressing as sorority was proof beyond doubt that the US was not going to protect Israel from Iran.

So Israel (wisely) decided to abandon the US strategy of urging caution and negotiations rather than military operations.

And thus, behind the degradation of Hamas and now Hezbollah, did the final check on Israel’s restraint – US influence on Israel – collapse.