Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2024. (Credit: AFP)
Gaza lies in ruins, but Hamas has not been “eradicated;” Hezbollah is severely weakened, yet refuses to surrender its weapons; the Iranian regime is on the brink of collapse, but has not abandoned its nuclear and regional ambitions; and finally, the Houthis still control Yemen, while Iran-aligned Shiite militias dominate Iraq. As long as the Iran-led axis has not taken its last breath, the reshaping of the region, which Israel embarked upon on Oct. 8, 2023, will remain unfinished. Airstrikes will continue, along with low-intensity conflicts and the threat of regional escalation.From a strategic standpoint, however, this war is already over. Its outcome is clear: there is a winner — which is Israel — and a vanquished — the Iranian axis.We have now entered a new phase in which the central question is no longer whether Israel has won, but...
Gaza lies in ruins, but Hamas has not been “eradicated;” Hezbollah is severely weakened, yet refuses to surrender its weapons; the Iranian regime is on the brink of collapse, but has not abandoned its nuclear and regional ambitions; and finally, the Houthis still control Yemen, while Iran-aligned Shiite militias dominate Iraq. As long as the Iran-led axis has not taken its last breath, the reshaping of the region, which Israel embarked upon on Oct. 8, 2023, will remain unfinished. Airstrikes will continue, along with low-intensity conflicts and the threat of regional escalation.From a strategic standpoint, however, this war is already over. Its outcome is clear: there is a winner — which is Israel — and a vanquished — the Iranian axis.We have now entered a new phase in which the central question is no longer whether Israel has...
