But the Hope of Peace is the Same
Last Thursday, we alerted our readers to the aerial attacks on Iran by Israel Defense. The State of Israel inflicted substantial damage to Iran’s military capacities during its bombing runs. The one thing Israel did not have the capability of doing was dismantling the nuclear enrichment plants built deep in the mountains. Enter the U.S. into the war.
The United States is the only country that possesses the bunker bomb, aircraft, and logistics to accomplish the mission. Our post mentioned that throughout Trump’s first administration and subsequent campaigning for his second, he was a man who had no intentions of entering the country in an endless war.
Given the known facts and Trump’s penchant for negotiating for peace, Good Moral Compasses believed the president would keep the threat of bombing on the table as a negotiation tool, predicting he would not drop it. We were wrong about the bombing, but correct on the desired outcome of eliminating Iran’s nuclear threat and on how the skirmish would terminate.
From a purely military perspective, Operation Midnight Hammer was something to behold. The plane carrying the bunker buster bombs left from Missouri and flew a 37-hour mission, refueling frequently. There were no leaks before the mission, and the military kept everyone off guard by sending bombers with no payloads headed in a westerly direction. The real bombers headed to Iran had little communication during the flight and flew into Iran’s airspace undetected.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated the bombing was expedited by the intelligence that Iran had enriched uranium to 60%. The clock begins when a country has enriched uranium to 60%. For uranium to be used as a bomb, it needs to be enriched to 90%. It seems like a big difference; however, nuclear experts inform us that the last 30% enrichment can happen quickly. Now that the means for enrichment are destroyed, experts contend it would take Iran a decade or more to reach the level needed for a nuclear bomb.
The bombing of Iran and its nuclear program has reshuffled how Iran can wage war. The ongoing threat of atomic payloads just around the corner was one of Iran’s assets, keeping Israel at bay with the threat of retaliation, once the bomb was completed. That threat has been neutralized, so the power shift has moved away from Iran.
The Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader since 1989, has never been as weak as he is now. Before the attacks, he refused to negotiate, and now, he is forced to come to the table. The destruction of the nuclear program has embarrassed the theocracy and laid bare their actual ability to wage war. Reluctantly, they have agreed to a ceasefire with Israel.
President Trump, on his Truth Social Account, said the 12-day war between Israel and Iran is over with an agreed ceasefire. He wrote, “This is a War that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn’t, and never will! God bless Israel, God bless Iran, God bless the Middle East, God bless the United States of America, and GOD BLESS THE WORLD!”
Last night, however, before the ceasefire, Iran launched a ballistic missile at an apartment building in Beersheba, killing five people. Whether this is Iran’s final attack or a harbinger of more strikes is to be determined. The question of whether there are enough war mongers left in Iran having the power over the country to prolong the conflict. The answer lies in the progress of the ceasefire. The optimism of the truce is tempered by the fact that the agreement, not to bomb each other, is not peace but a temporary cessation of violence.
Eyes will be intently fixed on the ceasefire talks. The road the Iranians will take depends solely on how much power the radical government has left. Iran has suffered two defeats in the 12-day war: their nuclear program has been destroyed, and the credibility of the theocracy to wage war has been undermined.
The world community wants Iran to reach its potential for its citizens and country without war and violence, and the constant menace of terrorism. If this is achieved, the hope for a lasting peace in the Middle East may become a reality.