The Sword of Damocles over Iran

Israeli Defence Ministry reportedly instituted measures to curtail shell usage in the ongoing ground campaigns against Hamas and Hezbollah .

Washington has more or less publicly “advised” Israel not to target Iran ’s nuclear installations or oil production facilities.

Israel must take American sensibilities into account before the US elections, writes Aaron Miller .

Israel may adopt a two -step strategy: hit some non-oil and non-nuclear Iranian sites in the coming days and, after Iran retaliates as it has promised it would, hit the oil and nuclear sites after 5 November .

After that date, the US will have a new president-elect, and the fear that Israel ’s actions could hurt Kamala Harris's chances of being elected will no longer pertain.

Iran is said to be only a year or two away from producing nuclear bombs and has accumulated large amounts of enriched uranium needed for nuclear weaponry.

A New York Times report says Hamas had intended to attack Israel in autumn 2022 but postponed its attack in an effort to rope in Iran and Hezbollah for a simultaneous, multi-front operation.

But Iran declined, as did Hezbollah , no doubt on Tehran ’s orders.

So, in the end, Hamas went it alone on 7 October , without informing Iran or Nasrallah of the exact date of the attack.