The Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria was a brazen act of war. "Israel" wants to give the appearance that it is ready for war with Iran. However, the reality is that the attack was a desperate attempt to intimidate Iran into pulling back its support for the Resistance axis. There is only one explanation as to why "Israel" would take such a risky measure - it is losing the war in Gaza.

While the world has witnessed "Israel's" destruction of Gaza and the killing of tens of thousands of civilians in an attempted genocide, "Israel" has not been able to achieve any military objectives. The Israeli captives have not been returned by the IOF. Hamas’s military capabilities and tunnel systems remain intact. In fact, "Israel" has not been able to defeat even smaller Palestinian Resistance factions such as the Mujahideen Brigades, PFLP, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, and the Islamic Jihad, all of which continue to release communiques of their military operations. 

It is the Resistance axis, which also includes Hamas, Hezbollah, Iraq’s PMF, and Yemen’s Ansar Allah (AKA the Houthis) that has dealt a blow to "Israel's" military capabilities. In an interview with NewsNation this week, former US Ambassador John Bolton admitted that “Israel is in a difficult position, it's bogged down in Gaza. At the same time, the threat from Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria is much more serious militarily.” Even as far back as in December, the Times of Israel revealed that 6000 IOF militants had been injured since Oct 7th. Recently, "Israel" pulled its forces out of the Al-Shifa Hospital complex, revealing the extent of their horrific war crimes. The rushed retreat suggested they were pushed out due to taking on heavy fire by Palestinian Resistance forces.

Meanwhile, "Israel's" economy has been suffering due to the Ansar Allah blockade of "Israel"-bound ships, wreaking havoc on the economy of "Israel's" Eilat port. "Israel's" Central Bureau of Statistics admitted that Gross domestic product (GDP) plunged 19.4% this quarter, compared with the July-September quarter, when it grew by a revised 1.8%.  Near the Gaza separation wall, many of the illegally occupied towns have been cleared of Israeli settlers. To the North, illegally built Israeli settlements such as "Kirat Shelon" have been evacuated. Six months on since the start of the war, with no defeat of Hamas in sight, and no pullback of Hezbollah forces to the north of the Litani River, it is unlikely the illegal Israeli settlers will return.

"Israel" has also lost the propaganda war and severely diminished its standing in the international community. Last week, ardent zionist and former US president Trump admitted that "Israel" has lost the PR war. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled that there is a credible case that "Israel" is committing a genocide in Gaza. The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution for an immediate ceasefire with 153 voting against "Israel". At least nine countries, including Jordan, Bahrain, Turkey, Colombia, Honduras, Chile, Belize, South Africa, and Chad, have recalled their ambassadors from "Israel," or severed ties with it. The normalization accords (Abraham Accords) that were about to be signed by Saudi Arabia are no longer on the table.          

Polls show that the US public no longer has an appetite to fight wars for "Israel" in the Middle East. Hence, Biden cannot afford to expand the war or he will lose the election, and "Israel" cannot count on US commitment to war with Iran. 

Still, "Israel" in this desperate state is at its most dangerous. Some have argued that "Israel" is attempting to gaud Iran into retaliation in order to force the US into war with Iran. However, Iran has no choice but to respond, as a lack of response will invite a weakened "Israel" to save itself by striking higher and higher profile Iranian targets. For this reason, it is imperative that Iran’s response to "Israel's" attack on its embassy be robust enough to send a message. Despite its mad dog policy, "Israel" is not prepared to go to war with Iran. A sufficiently large strike on Israeli targets would prevent future escalation.