Iran’s massive strike on Israel two weeks ago turned into something of a gift. Some of the benefits will accrue personally to embattled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but those are likely to fade. But the boost Iran gave to Israel collectively has already had important repercussions, some of which could be lasting.
More than a week later, there remains considerable uncertainty about Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel using its long-range strike capabilities. As more information becomes public, it is important to be mindful of three important considerations to understand the attack’s implications on military dynamics across the Middle East.
On March 1, Iran held parliamentary elections that, as expected, were neither free nor fair. And yet, despite the ballot being an exercise that was entirely devoid of democratic legitimacy, the event and the results were far from meaningless. Iranians managed to make their voices heard, loudly rejecting the status quo.
