Taking down Iran: The only way to guarantee Israeli lives, Middle East stability - opinion

When innocent lives hang in the balance, defending one’s existence becomes a moral imperative rather than a political choice.

The war is not between two peoples but between a nation fighting for survival and an Iranian regime repeating the same mistakes as past dictatorships that sought to obliterate half of Israel or drive its people into the sea, all of which eventually found themselves in history’s dustbin.

The Iranian regime does not bother hiding its desire to wipe Israel off the map, throwing every military and technological resource at its disposal toward the goal, from advancing its nuclear program to building a missile arsenal that can reach deep into Israeli territory at a moment’s notice.

These were not precision strikes on military bases or strategic facilities but instead hit residential neighborhoods in Tel Aviv and Haifa, killing and wounding civilians while entire apartment buildings crumbled as residents fled in terror.

Iran has fired over 300 missiles in wave after wave, with some breaking through Israel’s air defenses to slam into populated areas. The toll has been devastating, with dozens killed and wounded, including women and children, in scenes that captured the full scope of suffering inflicted on innocent people.

But these were not simply military strikes; they carry a calculated political message. The attack is Iran’s desperate gambit to turn Israeli citizens against their own government by spreading chaos and fear, hoping to shatter public confidence in the state’s ability to keep them safe.

Such savage civilian targeting is designed to crack Israel’s home front and drive a wedge between citizens and their leaders – a classic dictatorial playbook when conventional warfare fails to deliver results.

What these attacks prove is that Iran’s regime will not hesitate to unleash the worst kind of violence against innocent people to score political and strategic points, thumbing its nose at every international law and norm that is supposed to protect civilians in war.

As tensions escalate, the real scope of the threat becomes crystal clear when you look at what is happening behind closed doors in the arms race and tech development game.

Meanwhile, it keeps churning out long-range ballistic missiles and arming its proxy forces across Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Gaza with cutting-edge weapons, all part of a strategy to open multiple fronts against Israel and bleed it dry militarily and economically.

Iran’s game plan does not threaten only Israel but instead pushes the entire region toward a nuclear arms race that could end in disaster for everyone.

Right at the center of the conflict, questions of justice and humanity weigh heavily on every decision. Israel knows that showing any weakness in the fight for survival will hand Iran all the time it needs to finish its nuclear and missile projects, completely shifting the balance of power and leaving Tel Aviv vulnerable to constant blackmail and threats.

That is why Israeli leaders see crushing Iran’s regime and shutting down its nuclear and missile programs not merely as military goals, but as absolute requirements for protecting Israeli lives and ensuring stability. Their stance does not mean going after ordinary Iranian people – quite the opposite.

Israel distinguishes between Iran’s regime and its people and aims its strikes at military targets while seeking to avoid civilian casualties. Every day that passes puts more pressure on the international community at the make-or-break moment for the region.

This makes security coordination between Israel and its allies, as well as international pressure on Tehran, more crucial than ever to prevent further escalation and keep diplomatic solutions possible.

Sitting on the sidelines or dragging their feet will only give Iran’s regime more time to enhance its military arsenal and threaten its neighbors and the rest of the world.

Here is the reality: backing Israel in the fight is not some political favor but instead an absolute strategic must in order to stop weapons of mass destruction from spreading and to prevent aggressive regimes from holding global security hostage.

If Israel wins, Iran’s nuclear and missile programs get shut down, Tehran loses its ability to fund armed groups across the region, and everyone gets more stability and security.

But if Israel cannot get the job done, Iran becomes a nuclear-armed power threatening Israel, the Gulf states, and Europe, while setting off a regional nuclear arms race that could spiral completely out of control.

When a people’s survival and right to exist are on the line, standing firm becomes a sacred duty that cannot be negotiated away. Israel’s life-or-death struggle against Iran’s regime is the ultimate test of whether the international community has what it takes to stand up to forces of evil and destruction.

The recent missile attacks have made it clear that Iran’s threat is real and happening right now. Any softness in dealing with it puts not only Israel at risk but also the security of the entire region and world.

Taking down Iran, bringing down its regime, and ending its nuclear and missile programs – that is the only way to guarantee Israeli lives and bring stability back to the Middle East.

When all is said and done, the war sends one unmistakable message in which Israel is fighting tooth and nail for its survival and refusing to let any regime rewrite history at the cost of its future and its people.