Iran Must Heed the Lessons of Iraq and Syria: Israel’s Resolve Against Nuclear Threats

For Jews  & For Israel

Iran’s relentless pursuit of nuclear capabilities is a dangerous gamble that threatens not only the Middle East but the entire world. The Islamic Republic’s leaders would do well to study the fates of Iraq and Syria, two nations that learned the hard way that Israel does not take existential threats lightly. The Jewish state’s ironclad resolve to prevent a nuclear-armed adversary must serve as a stark warning to Tehran: Israel will act decisively, and history shows it has the means and will to do so.

In 1981, Israel’s Operation Opera obliterated Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor in a daring airstrike that set back Saddam Hussein’s nuclear ambitions by decades. The world gasped, but Israel’s message was clear: no regime hell-bent on its destruction will be allowed to wield the ultimate weapon. Fast forward to 2007, when Israel’s Operation Orchard reduced Syria’s clandestine Al-Kibar nuclear facility to rubble. The strike, executed with surgical precision, eliminated a covert nuclear threat nurtured by the Assad regime and its North Korean allies. Both operations showcased Israel’s unmatched intelligence capabilities, military prowess, and unwavering commitment to its survival.

Iran, however, seems determined to test Israel’s red lines. Tehran’s nuclear program, cloaked in dubious claims of “peaceful intent,” has advanced to alarming levels. Enriched uranium stockpiles, sophisticated centrifuges, and provocative rhetoric from Iranian leaders paint a clear picture: the regime seeks the means to threaten Israel’s existence. The Islamic Republic’s proxies—Hezbollah, Hamas, and others—already wreak havoc across the region. A nuclear-armed Iran would embolden these terrorist networks, destabilizing the Middle East and beyond.

The lessons of Iraq and Syria are unambiguous. Israel does not bluff. Its preemptive strikes are not acts of aggression but of self-preservation, rooted in the painful memory of the Holocaust and the unrelenting hostility of its neighbors. Unlike Iraq and Syria, Iran’s nuclear facilities are more dispersed and fortified, but Israel’s technological edge—bolstered by cutting-edge F-35 jets, cyberwarfare capabilities, and unmatched intelligence networks—ensures it can overcome these challenges. Recent reports suggest Israel has already conducted covert operations to disrupt Iran’s nuclear progress, from mysterious explosions at Natanz to the elimination of key scientists. These are mere warnings of what could come.

The international community’s response to Iran’s nuclear ambitions has been woefully inadequate. The 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal, riddled with loopholes, failed to dismantle Iran’s nuclear infrastructure or curb its belligerence. Since the U.S. withdrawal in 2018, Iran has accelerated its enrichment activities, flouting international agreements while the world dithers. Diplomacy has its place, but appeasement only emboldens a regime that chants “Death to Israel” and funds terror across the globe. Israel cannot afford to wait for sanctions or negotiations to bear fruit when its survival is at stake.

Iran’s leaders must recognize that their pursuit of nuclear weapons invites catastrophic consequences. Israel’s military doctrine prioritizes preemption, and its track record proves it will not hesitate to act. The destruction of Iraq’s and Syria’s nuclear programs was swift and decisive; Iran’s sprawling network would face a far more devastating response, potentially involving not just airstrikes but cyber and unconventional warfare. Tehran’s economy, already battered by sanctions, and its regime, increasingly unpopular at home, cannot withstand the fallout of such a confrontation.

The path forward is clear. Iran must abandon its nuclear ambitions, dismantle its enrichment facilities, and submit to rigorous international inspections. Failure to do so will invite a response that makes the fates of Osirak and Al-Kibar look tame by comparison. Israel’s message to Tehran is simple: learn from history, or risk becoming its next chapter. The Jewish state has proven time and again that it will do whatever it takes to ensure its survival. Iran ignores this reality at its peril.