Iran-Israel war 'likely to spread' after US forces left 'exposed' following missile attack

The conflict between Iran and Israel appears to be intensifying, which is likely to lead to an all-out regional war, according to a University of East London professor who specialises in Middle Eastern studies.

Lecturer John Strawson spoke with The Mirror about the current crisis in the Middle East and how Israel's recent actions against Iran could contribute to a wider conflict that puts US troops at risk—He cites Iran's anger toward the US for aiding Israel during its aerial strike on the country last weekend.

At the moment, Iran's attempts to play down Israel's retaliatory strike on Friday indicate that Tehran isn't looking for a fight—at least not yet.

READ MORE: Middle East crisis: Mirror on the ground in Israel - as fears mount over fresh Iran attack

"In Israel, there is much controversy after far-right national security minister Ben Gvir tweeted that Israel's attack on Isfahan was 'feeble,' John asserted. "The Iranians have leapt on this to say it shows how weak the Israeli are. It looks as if the Iranians want to use this as propaganda as why of restoring their credibility after the failure of last weekend's attack on Israel."

When asked whether he thinks the conflict will explode into an all-out war, the Middle East expert attributes the onset of all wars to "a combination of calculations and miscalculations."

He used the October 7 attack on Southern Israel, during which Hamas militants killed 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped about 240 more, as an example. Israel underestimated the organization, believing it wouldn't dare confront the holy land, which led to the bloodiest attack on Israel since its establishment in 1948, John said.

Building on his last point, Israel's decision to strike the Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus brought about the strike, which could have been devastating if US and UK forces hadn't of stepped in to down the aircraft. Furthermore, its failure to reveal its intentions to the US painted a target on the nation's back.

‌"So yes, the longer the war that was ignited on October 7 continues the more likely it is the war will spread."

John underscores Iran's military capacity as well as its allies who would follow the nation into war without hesitation. "Iran is at the centre of the current dangers in the Middle East," he said. "It was Hamas who it has financed, trained and supplied with arms that started this. Iran’s proxies in Lebanon and Yemen then sought to widen it. Don’t forget Hezbollah has between 65,000-70,000 in its militias and is equipped with over 100,000 sophisticated guided missiles."

For all the latest on news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US.

Iran doesn't have to directly retaliate against Israel as Hezbollah could do the dirty work for it. In fact, John said that action might be encouraged given the escalating exchanges between the militants and Israel.

US President Joe Biden explicitly told Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington would not support any counteroffensive against Iran, advising the holy land to heed its advice. To the Middle Eastern studies professor, this and Washington's actions during the aerial assault indicates that "sleepy" Joe is wide awake. ‌

"I don’t think Biden is sleeping walking!" he said. "The US administration has its eyes wide open, and the State Department and the Pentagon seem to be working well. That was shown in the way in which intelligence, the US military in the Middle East and diplomacy with its regional allies came together on April 13 in response to the Iranian attack on Israel."

He said the White House's robust display of its military power, which hasn't been seen in quite some time, could be used to end the war in Gaza altogether. "The big question for the US is how to turn the military success of this coalition into a political initiative to end the Gaza war."

Despite all this, Biden's support of Israel is likely to stay "rock solid." His best move would be to pressure Netanyahu and other Israeli officials to create a feasible post-war Gaza plan that preferably doesn't allow IDF occupation of the enclave. "The Israelis simply do not have that at the moment."

‌This will be crucial if the US wants to avert a full-scale war. The Houthis, who Hail from Yemen and attacked US vessels in the Red Sea last November, and Hezbollah are "not minor actors" and could bring fiery might into Iran's corner. If a better strategy to ease the conflicts isn't implemented before Tehran and its allies develop nuclear weapons, the US and its allies could experience dire ramifications.