Senior Iranian military officials are developing concepts for destroying Israel without having to defeat the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Their thinking proceeds from the theory that destabilizing Israel would cause Jewish citizens to flee Israel and end the long-term viability of a Jewish state in Israel. Surprise ground attacks into Israel is becoming a central idea in Iranian military leaders’ thinking. Rashid argued that the Hamas attack into Israel in October 2023 highlighted how effective and valuable ground attacks could be. Iran and its Axis of Resistance have tried to impose an unofficial economic blockade on Israel throughout the war to coerce Israel into accepting defeat in the Gaza Strip.

Source: Wall Street Journal May 23, 2024 19:40 UTC