In whose interest was the Iranian strike? 
The missile and drone strike farce orchestrated by Iran and Israel was an attempt to alleviate the embarrassment of Israel, which has faced international criticism over its conduct in Gaza, failed in several elements of its invasion of the enclave, and has seen the justifications for the strength and size of its reaction to the attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 weaken.
The series of strikes by Iran on Israel aims to portray Israel as a victim, and draw Jordan into the conflict, echoing the malicious phrase “the road to Jerusalem passes through Jordan.”
It is also an attempt to involve the Gulf states in the crisis, which is a Western goal that complements a creative chaos project but has been headed off by the courageous stances of the various states involved, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain and Oman, which has helped guarantee their regional security.
Further to this, the attack aimed to show that Israel’s security is being threatened in front of the world’s media, so that the US Congress lifts all suspended sales of additional weapons to Tel Aviv.
It was additionally a move to allow Iran to gain a new negotiating card via the war in Gaza that will lead directly to reviving the Iranian nuclear file, improving its negotiating position and demonstrating to the Arab and Islamic street that Iran is the first defender of the interests and existential issues of Muslims, making Tehran the godfather of peace and the patron of the Palestinian cause.
Although the parties behind the theatricality are clear, there are those who try to glorify Iran’s role to a greater extent. We are increasingly hearing voices reeking of a Brotherhood-like spirit, aligning themselves with the Persian-Safavid proclivities.
Though thankfully those voices are discordant, they resound in every corner claiming that Iran’s attack was a great victory and a blow to Israel. They assert that the strike has proven the effectiveness and strength of Iran’s weapons. It is as if they do not hear what military experts and intelligence analysts have said.
The latter have read reality deeply and know the weakness of Iran’s capabilities; they understood the goals and limits of the strike through analyzing images, reviewing official statements, and sifting through hundreds of precise and confidential pieces of information.
My perspective agrees with those who say there is open collusion between Israel and Iran, but that their patrons in Washington are more inclined towards Iran and are keener on preserving it than Israel.
Why else did the US allow Iran to fly its planes and missiles safely until they reached Israel, before shooting them down?
Iran needs to be calm in order to exploit its intervention as a victory for Gaza instead of having it seen as a reaction to the attack on its consulate building in Syria. This would enhance its negotiating position in the nuclear agreement deal, which has been brewing for a long time, and the US does not want Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cause delays to the process.
• Abdulaziz bin Razen is a journalist and member of the Saudi Journalists Association
