How Israel Balances on the Edge Between Iran and Washington

Standing on a tightrope between provoking Iran and courting Washington, Israel’s every step is calculated—yet the turbulent regional winds threaten to bring it all crashing down.

Since its strike on Iran’s consulate in Damascus and Tehran’s subsequent missile retaliation, Israel has pursued what it calls “preemptive deterrence.” But the pattern—precision strikes, limited Iranian response, global silence—reveals a more dangerous game of escalation brinkmanship.

Meanwhile, the U.S., Israel’s closest ally, appears distracted—focused on elections and backdoor diplomacy with Iran. What happens if Israel goes too far? And is Tel Aviv truly in control of the consequences?

From Allies to Arch-Rivals

Until 1979, Israel and Iran were strategic partners, tied by military and energy interests. That changed with the Islamic Revolution, which transformed Iran into Israel’s most vocal regional opponent. Today, Tehran positions itself as the spearhead of anti-Zionist resistance, while Israel sees Iran as an existential threat.

Israel’s doctrine of preemptive strikes has led it to target Iranian influence across Syria, Lebanon, and beyond, while Iran has developed a vast network of proxies in the region—avoiding direct confrontation.

Netanyahu’s Iran Doctrine

Since returning to power in 2009, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made confronting Iran the centrepiece of his foreign policy. From his infamous UN “red line” cartoon in 2012 to his defiance of the Obama administration’s nuclear deal, Netanyahu has used Iran not only as a strategic focus, but a political tool.

Domestically, he used Iran as a shield to deflect criticism over Palestinian policy. Regionally, he marketed Israel as a bulwark against Tehran to gain Arab support for normalisation. But his critics—from former Mossad heads to military chiefs—warned that he politicised the Iranian threat and ignored deeper internal fractures.

After the October 2023 attacks shattered Israeli security illusions, Netanyahu leaned into escalation with Iran to regain political footing, portraying himself as Israel’s last line of defence.

Strategic Deterrence or Political Theatre?

The pattern is clear: a calculated Israeli strike, a measured Iranian reply, followed by a tense pause. April 2024 saw over 170 Iranian drones and missiles launched—retaliation for Israel’s killing of IRGC officers in Syria—yet Tehran avoided Israeli casualties. Israel responded by hitting military sites in Isfahan.

Netanyahu leveraged the crisis to reposition himself: “We are confronting Iran on behalf of the world,” he declared. But Israeli intelligence agencies expressed concern about such politically driven provocations, warning of the risk of spiralling into multi-front conflict.

Despite $17 billion in U.S. military aid since October 2023, including joint drills and advanced intelligence-sharing, internal Israeli divisions persist, and public anxiety is growing.

A Widening Risk

Israel’s deterrence posture has shifted—from covert operations to open confrontation, from tactical containment to risky escalation. But this doesn’t signal confidence; rather, it reflects a strategic vacuum filled by political survival tactics.

Netanyahu’s focus on Iran has deflected attention from mounting domestic crises: security lapses, judicial overhaul backlash, and eroding public trust. For him, Tehran is both the perfect external threat and the ideal political diversion.

Yet Iran, while publicly retaliating, has also shown restraint—signalling capability without fully altering the rules of engagement. Both sides are aware of the limits of force and the danger of miscalculation.

What’s at stake now is not just border stability but the credibility of deterrence itself. Regional calm hangs on a thread stretched thin by political egos, shifting alliances, and exhausted public support.

Israel is still walking the edge—not because it trusts its footing, but because, for now, it has no other path.

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