Escalating violence in the Middle East could lead to broader war
Iran launched a missile attack against Israel on October 1, 2024, marking an escalation of tensions between the two nations. The Iranian military launched more than 180 missiles, targeting Israeli military bases and civilian areas in the largest attack by Iran against Israel in history.
This course of action signaled retaliation for Israel’s assassination of Hassan Nazrallah, leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, on September 27. Iran dubbed the attack “Operation True Promise 2,” referencing the previous barrage of missiles Iran fired at Israel in April.
Regional tension between Israel and Iran has increased rapidly over the past month. In Iran, the September assassination of Nasrallah was commemorated with a five-day national period of mourning. Iranian Ayatollah Khameini called for unity with their proxy in Lebanon, telling the Iranian people, “All of the forces in the resistance stand by Hezbollah.” Khameini continued, “It will be Hezbollah, at the helm of the resistance forces, that will determine the fate of the region.”
The “Axis of Resistance,” as Iran labels it, is composed of the governments of Iran, Syria, and Lebanon, as well as militant groups that are opposed to the Israeli government and the current status quo in Gaza and the West Bank. Per the U.S. Department of State, the majority of these groups are designated as terrorist organizations.
Tensions have further escalated because of Iran’s continued progress towards nuclear proliferation. The Heritage Foundation reported on October 1 that Iran is on the cusp of possessing functional nuclear weapons, which if realized could deal a massive blow to the strength of American foreign policy over the past decade. The Obama and Biden administrations in particular had aimed to slow Iran’s development of such a device through sanctions and negotiation.
On October 2, following repeated UN calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and a de-escalation with Lebanon, Israel Katz, the Israeli foreign minister, declared UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutierrez persona non grata, banning him from entering Israel.
U.S. Department of Defense spokesman Major General Patrick Ryder confirmed that the U.S. Navy intervened to defend Israel during the attack, firing roughly one dozen interceptors to assist Israeli air defenses. Though notable, this was not the first time the U.S. directly defended Israeli territory. The April 2024 missile and drone attack by Iran was met with similar interception by American, Israeli, and Jordanian forces. It was also preceded by an Israeli strike on the Iranian embassy to Syria in Damascus, which killed two high-ranking Iranian generals.
Despite the extent of the attack, little actual damage was inflicted on Israeli territory. The death toll from the attack, as of October 7, 2024, stands at one. For its part, Israel has vowed “painful” retaliation against Iran for the attack, and on October 5 Israel launched further incursions in southern Lebanon that killed 25 people.
Reactions to recent events in the Middle East varied among Notre Dame students. Sophomore Alex Keaty emphasized the importance of the United States standing with Israel, asserting, “It’s good that our military was able to assist Israel in defending themselves, that area of the world is in dire need of de-escalation.”
Junior Harrison Orr echoed a similar sentiment: “The last time Iran pulled this, it was very underwhelming, but now this newest attack shows their true commitment to resisting Israeli activity.”
Freshman Nathan Ogden was similarly critical of Iran, citing its poor record on human rights: “The Iranian people have suffered oppression from the regime there, and it’s our duty to stand up for their rights.”
Some students held a different view on the attacks. Junior Nick Peterson told the Rover, “Iran could have nuclear weapons in a month if they wanted to.” He continued, “I understand why Iran’s doing this, the Middle East just isn’t going to be peaceful for the time being.”
Another student from Alumni Hall characterized the Iran attack as “their only choice to save face with their people and on the world stage after repeated aggression by Israel. The attack was not intended to inflict any real damage, and indeed it did not. The question is whether Israel will see the attack for what it was or use it as another excuse for disproportionate escalation.”
“In any case, the U.S. should not be involved. I don’t want a war with Iran,” he added.
An upcoming Notre Dame Forum event, titled “The Perils of U.S. Isolationism,” looks to discuss these topics in the context of American foreign affairs. Scheduled for October 11, the fireside chat will feature former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in conversation with Notre Dame president Father Robert Dowd, C.S.C.
Sam Marchand is a sophomore studying political science and finance from Beaumont, Texas. He squanders much of his spare time by reading the Current Events section of Wikipedia preparing arguments for ND Speech & Debate, of which he serves as president. He can be reached at smarcha3@nd.edu.
Photo Credit: PBS
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