Israel should step back from the brink

Israel launched what it described as "precise and targeted" strikes on "military targets" in Iran on Oct 26, as part of its response to the Iranian ballistic missile attack at the start of the month.

The Israeli strikes reportedly did significant damage to the Iranian air defenses as well as missile launch facilities, emphasizing Israel's conventional military superiority. The attacks are judged to have demonstrated the vulnerability of Iran's air defenses and exposed the limitations of its regional deterrence strategy, as the United Kingdom's defense and security think tank, United Royal Services Institute, has said. That seems to have prompted Tel Aviv to raise its military sights once again, judging by the remarks of Israel's new defense minister, Israel Katz, at a meeting on Monday.

Apart from vowing to achieve the country's goals of returning hostages and defeating Hamas in Gaza and reiterating there will be no cease-fire in Lebanon and no respite for Hezbollah, Katz also hinted that Israel might attack Iran's nuclear facilities. "Iran today is more exposed than ever to damage to its nuclear facilities. There is a possibility to achieve the most important goal, to thwart and remove the threat of annihilation from hanging over the State of Israel," Katz said.

As the country's new defense chief, Katz may be eager to show he is fully on board the Israeli prime minister's military agenda, as fidelity to Benjamin Netanyahu's war aims is a nonnegotiable requirement for the job. His predecessor was abruptly sacked after losing the prime minister's trust on that score last week.

But such a stance plays into the hands of Israeli hard-liners who are seeking to take their aggression to Iran. It is no secret that the unswerving support from the United States, Israel's close ally, has emboldened the Jewish state to pursue higher and grander military and strategic goals in the region, with its military offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip expanding to campaigns against Iran's regional proxies Hezbollah and the Houthis.

The result of the US presidential election is thus another factor that may have factored into Israel's calculations. It is believed that Israel would be unable to do significant damage to Iran's nuclear facilities without the help of the United States military. But the Joe Biden administration had made it clear that Israel could count on the US' help should Teheran ever build a nuclear weapon, but now was not the time.

As US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at the time, the long-range B-2 stealth bomber strikes against the Houthis in Yemen were a demonstration of the US military's ability to strike hard-to-reach facilities, "no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified".

But with Donald Trump, a staunch supporter of Israel, winning the election, Tel Aviv may be sending the message, that a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities should be carried out sooner rather than being a remote possibility.

With the backing of the next US administration, Tel Aviv will certainly hope to gain more direct support for its war aims, which does not bode well for the region.

China continues to call on all parties involved in the tensions between Israel and Iran to exercise caution and avoid escalating the situation. It opposes any actions violating the sovereignty and undermining the security of countries, and opposes the abuse of force. It urges the international community, especially major countries with influence, to take concrete actions to play a constructive role and create the necessary conditions for the de-escalation of regional tensions.

It is high time the US stopped its enabling of Israel's military actions and did more to restore peace and stability in the Middle East. Both Washington and Tel Aviv should abide by relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions as they are binding on all UN member states. Israel, in particular, must stop taking actions that further escalate the situation, and the US must stop giving Tel Aviv its seal of approval.

Though both were perceived as measured retaliations, the tension that has ensued from the recent strikes has put the world on edge about the possibility of a full-scale war in the region.