In Iran, they fear Israeli action and assess: “This is the most difficult period”

While Iran is facing increasing international pressure, the Arab world fears that Israel sees a historic opportunity to act against Iranian aggression, and that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to lead the strategic fight against the Iranian threat, while taking advantage of the dramatic changes in the international, regional and domestic arena.

Dr. Nabil Alatom, head of the Iranian studies program at the Center for Regional Studies, told the Saudi Al-Hadath channel: “Netanyahu is trying to take advantage of this momentum to promote an aggressive strategy against Iran, while trying to undermine its strategic base in the region. The Iranian media reports an expectation of a possible Israeli attack, when a senior member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards even claimed that the next thirty days will be the most difficult period in the history of the Islamic Republic.

According to the expert, the current dynamic includes several key variables: the weakening of the Lebanese Hezbollah, which was the spearhead of the Iranian project in the region, and the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, which is considered part of Iran’s “teaching of buffers”. Also, the Houthis in Yemen were weakened following a series of significant operations, which dealt them heavy blows.

Netanyahu is trying to take advantage of this momentum to promote an aggressive strategy against Iran, according to him, while trying to undermine its strategic base in the region. The Iranian media reports an expectation of a possible Israeli attack, when a senior member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards even claimed that “the next thirty days will be the most difficult period in the history of the Islamic Republic.” In addition, the expert emphasizes that: “There are real indicators that confirm or support the possibility of a military attack by Israel.”

“Reports indicate that the Israeli attack that took place on October 26 was aimed at the Iranian air defense, and was a clear message about Israel’s intentions to continue operating.”

From Iran’s side, according to him, it seems that the main focus is on the survival of the regime and finding ways to circumvent the external threats, “Iran is moving away from direct wars”, he said and explained that there is Iran’s insistence on continuing to support proxy militias in the region.

Netanyahu emphasizes the importance of the opportunity to act against the Iranian nuclear program. The expert believes that the regional and international reality creates a strategic opportunity for Israel to act firmly against the Iranian nuclear program, and clarifies his concern on the matter: “I believe that we are now facing very dangerous changes, as I mentioned to you, this is an important opportunity for the Israeli side to move to Ras al-Akhtabut and destroy the nuclear weapons.”

Benny Sabati, a researcher at the Iran Research Section at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), also spoke to “Maariv” on the subject and claimed that: the recent events only illustrated the need for Israel to delve deeper and deal with Iran directly.” He added that “If the Revolutionary Guards are harmed, it can To also bring hope to the Iranian public to rebel, take to the streets, make some more trouble and challenge the Iranian regime.’

As you may recall, last month in a series of unusual measures, Iran sent a senior official to Beirut in mid-November to convince Hezbollah to agree to a ceasefire with Israel. At the same time, Iran’s ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeed Irvani, met with businessman Elon Musk, close to President-elect Trump, in an attempt to build bridges with the new administration.

In Iran, there were fierce internal debates surrounding the diplomatic contacts: while the moderates supported the contacts, the conservatives strongly condemned them. In the end, senior Iranian officials expressed a willingness to negotiate with the US, emphasizing Iranian restraint as a step to test the Trump administration’s ability to promote regional stability and restrain Netanyahu.

In conclusion, the expert claims that the current situation provides Israel with a rare and strategic opportunity to act against Iran directly, and not be satisfied with limited actions against its affiliates. According to him, this is a critical time when it is possible to damage the Iranian nuclear infrastructure and significantly reduce the threat to Israel and the region.