Prof. Soli Shahvar
Over a year after the surprise attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, there is talk in Israel of the collapse of the Shiite Crescent following the fall of the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad to rebel forces, along with significant damage to Hezbollah in Lebanon and to Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Additionally, following effective Israeli Air Force strikes in Iran, it is reported in Israel that Iran's air defense capabilities have been severely compromised, leaving it almost entirely exposed to Israeli air power. All of this has led to a sense of euphoria in Israel and a feeling of victory in the struggle against the Islamic regime in Iran and its capabilities against Israel.
In my lecture, I aim to present a number of options, that I believe are available to Iran today, in order to continue its struggle against Israel, even though there is no doubt about the significant blow Iran and a number of its proxies suffered as a result of the events since October 8, 2023.
Since much has already been said about Israel's strikes on Iran and its anti-Israel policies, this lecture will focus primarily on an aspect that has not been discussed: the options available to Iran. These include a range of possibilities that are open to Iran vis-à-vis one of its prime aim, which was clearly presented by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on October 2015, promising that “Israel will be wiped out from the face of the earth in 25 years,” namely by 2040.
In the concluding part of the lecture, I’ll offer my perspective on how Israel can address these potential Iranian moves.
