The tensions between Iran and Israel are part of a greater game in which Iran and the US are fighting each other and Israel is an important part of this puzzle, but not the whole, a Tehran-based geopolitical analyst has said.
The remarks of Farzin Zandi, who is an expert in international relations, specializing in Iran's Grey Zone Strategy and its influence spheres in the Middle East, come amid escalating tensions between Tel Aviv and Tehran.
Wider Regional Conflict on the Anvil?
Possibilities of a wider regional conflagration rose considerably on Sunday after Iran carried out its first-ever attack on Israeli soil following the Jewish state's airstrike on its diplomatic mission in Damascus earlier this week.
The Israeli attack on Iran's High Commission in Syria led to the killing of seven senior military officials, including Mohammed Reza Zahedi, a general in its elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
In retribution, Iran fired a salvo of 200 missiles and drones into Israel during the weekend.
Against this backdrop, Zandi noted that Israel is trying to use all the weak points of Iran with the 'Death by 1000 cuts' strategy to discredit the Islamic Republic.
Israel Desires Iran's Demolition
He highlighted that the level of tension between Iran and Israel fluctuates sinusoidally, and it seems that its highest level was seen in this recent confrontation. Tensions will remain at the same level, although Israel will act more aggressively.
"The difference is that Israel will probably continue to attack Iran's most important geopolitical arms, namely the military commanders of the Quds Force, and also paralyze Iran's territorialization and its proxy forces in the region, with the coordination of the US," Zandi reckoned.
He explained that the US, and then Israel are determined as the main "other" of Iran, and since in all issues of the Iranian government, opposition to these two countries is considered vital, this confrontation will continue unabated.
"In fact, the Islamic Republic has defined its identity in opposition to the US and Israel. In recent tensions between Iran and Israel, this hostility has intensified. One of the reasons is Israel's desire for the intensification of Iran's decay process," Zandi expressed.
Total War Out of Context
The strategic affairs pundit mentioned that Iran is also in an extensive fragile state economically. Because it is under the severe pressure of international economic sanctions and bureaucratic inefficiency, it has very few financial resources at its disposal.
"This situation prevents Iran from getting seriously involved in a total war," he concluded.