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Israel’s aggressive actions in the Middle East have once again stirred unrest on the global diplomatic stage. Following conflicts involving Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria, Iran has now emerged as Israel’s latest target. Recent Israeli strikes on Iran’s military and nuclear facilities have not only threatened one nation but have put the stability of the entire region at risk.
Israel claims these strikes are “preemptive measures taken in the interest of national security,” arguing that Iran is on the verge of developing a nuclear bomb. However, this claim raises questions about its validity. For three decades, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly warned that Iran is months or years away from acquiring nuclear weapons, yet no concrete evidence has emerged. Reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations have found no substantiation for these claims.
In response to Israel’s recent attacks, Iran launched retaliatory strikes last week, bringing the Middle East to the brink of a full-scale war. Analysts warn that if this trajectory continues, the conflict could spill beyond Iran and Israel, destabilizing the entire region.
Amid this escalating tension, Israel’s former Deputy Defense Minister Meir Masri has now issued a provocative statement on the X platform, threatening Pakistan’s nuclear program. “After Iran, we are considering shutting down Pakistan’s nuclear program. Pakistan is not far from Iran,” he stated. This remark is perceived as not just a diplomatic signal but a veiled threat to the broader Muslim world.
International experts view Israel’s stance as one-sided. While Israel accuses others, it maintains a clandestine nuclear program of its own, which it neither confirms nor denies—a widely known “open secret.” According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Israel possesses approximately 90 nuclear warheads and over 300 units of weapons-grade radioactive material. Israel began its secretive nuclear program in Dimona in 1958 and is believed to have developed its first nuclear weapon by 1966-67. It reportedly conducted a covert atmospheric nuclear test in 1979, though this was denied.
Israel has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and opposes efforts to establish a weapons-of-mass-destruction-free zone in the Middle East. Paradoxically, it regularly calls on other nations to adhere to the NPT at the United Nations.
Analysts argue that Israel seeks to maintain its position as the sole dominant power in the Middle East. To this end, it aims to suppress the military or nuclear advancements of other countries, particularly Muslim-majority states like Iran and Pakistan. This dual strategy—claiming self-defense while covertly amassing power and weakening adversaries—threatens regional security and undermines global credibility and fairness.
The international community must ensure impartial investigations into the nuclear capabilities of not only Iran and Pakistan but also Israel. Failure to do so risks perpetuating a dangerous double standard, further jeopardizing the Middle East’s fragile stability.
AI/MR
