In World War II, after Germany had conquered most of Europe, and just after the Fall of France, leaving England alone in Europe to carry on against the Nazis, a cartoon by the artist Low appeared, showing a defiant Englishman shaking his fist at the sky, and underneath was the caption “Very well, then—alone.” This cartoon comes naturally to mind when we consider the threat that a nuclear-armed Iran poses to the world, and the certainty that only one country can be counted on to prevent that threat from being realizing. Tiny Israel is now having its “very well then – alone” moment. More on Israel confronting Iran alone can be found here: “Israel Must Prepare to Save the World from a Nuclear Iran,” by Richard Goldberg, FDD, February 24, 2023:
This month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Europe “identifies more with the Israeli position” on Iran’s nuclear program, a conclusion he reached after meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. But as Tehran enriches uranium to near weapons-grade purity and European powers resist triggering the snapback of UN sanctions, a dim reality comes into view that only one country — Israel — has the political will and military capability to prevent the emergence of a nuclear-armed Iran.
When Macron met recently with Netanyahu, the French president apparently agreed with Israel’s prime minister on the Iranian threat, recognizing that Tehran had now enriched uranium to the level of 84% purity — with 90% being weapons-grade – a feat which would allow it within a matter of weeks, if Tehran chose, to produce three atomic bombs. Having agreed with Netanyahu on the problem, Macron nonetheless did not offer to take part in any military campaign to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The issue of “snapback” is a complicated one, but essential to better understand the bleak reality Israel now faces. Snapback is the name for a mechanism that can be used to restore all international restrictions and sanctions on Iran that were lifted by the UN Security Council alongside the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (“the nuclear deal”). UN Security Council Resolution 2231 replaced all prior resolutions on Iran — removing the international demand that Iran halt all enrichment activities, striking the outright UN prohibition on Iranian ballistic missile testing, and establishing a series of expirations dates on other key international restrictions.
In 2020, the UN conventional arms embargo on Iran expired. This October, a missile embargo on Iran will expire, despite Tehran’s provision of drones — and potential future transfer of missiles — to Russia to attack Ukraine. Nuclear restrictions sunset soon after, eventually legitimizing Iran’s production of weapons-grade enriched uranium and perfection of missile systems capable of delivering nuclear weapons.
Iran has steadily seen the sanctions regime against it weaken. As part of the 2015 JCPOA, previous restrictions and prohibitions on Iran were lifted. The previous international demand that Iran halt all enrichment activities was stricken, as was the former UN prohibition on Iranian ballistic missile testing, while expiration dates were established for other international restrictions on Tehran. In 2020 the UN embargo on conventional weapons for Iran ended, and in October 2023, the missile embargo will also expire. And the remaining nuclear restrictions on Iran will “sunset,” one by one, until 2030, when any last restrictions on Iran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons will come off.
But UNSCR 2231 came with one condition: If Iran ever violated its own commitments under the nuclear deal, any party to the agreement could notify the Security Council and restore all prior sanctions and restrictions in 30 days. This process is called “snapback,” and France — like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany — has the individual power and prerogative to trigger it.
In January 2020, after Iran began producing low-enriched uranium at its underground Fordow nuclear site, the so-called “E3” of Paris, London, and Berlin initiated the nuclear deal’s dispute process — a preliminary step to snapback, aimed at bringing Iran back into compliance with its commitments. But as 2020 dragged on and public polls indicated Donald Trump would likely lose re-election, Europe opted to keep the deal alive in hopes that Joe Biden’s pledge to rejoin the pact would induce improved Iranian behavior.
Once it was clear that Biden would be president, rather than reward Europe’s decision to maintain the nuclear deal’s sunsets, Iran began a two-year undeterred push toward nuclear threshold status.
No longer worried about what President Trump might do, the Iranians took the new president’s measure and concluded that Biden – so eager to revive the 2015 Iran deal — would do little or nothing if Iran started up again its headlong rush toward enriching uranium nearly to weapons-grade level, putting Iran on the threshold of being able to manufacture nuclear weapons.
In January 2021, Iran began enriching uranium to 20% purity — the threshold for highly enriched uranium — at its Natanz nuclear facility. Rather than continue his predecessor’s maximum pressure campaign, President Biden pulled back economic pressure and offered to lift US sanctions if Iran returned to compliance with the nuclear deal. Tehran responded by producing 60% enriched uranium at Natanz — then 20% at Fordow, and finally 60% at Fordow by November. At any point, the E3 could have moved forward with the snapback process it started in January 2020, but no party did. Instead, Iran was allowed to amass larger and larger stockpiles of high and low enriched uranium — enough to produce “several” weapons, according to the UN’s top nuclear watchdog.
Neither the E3 nor Washington seemed disturbed enough by Iran’s decision to suspend international monitoring at a key advanced centrifuge manufacturing plant to trigger the snapback. Nor have the E3 felt the need to trigger the snapback in the face of Iran’s refusal over the last four years to answer basic questions about why man-altered uranium particles were discovered at three sites previously unknown and still undeclared to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) — a fundamental breach of Iran’s obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty let alone the nuclear deal.
Iran has prevented the IAEA investigators from doing their job. It will not give the IAEA access to data from cameras at a new, advanced centrifuge plant in Esfahan. And according to Rafael Grassi, the head of the IAEA watchdog group, the Iranians still have not offered any explanation about traces of uranium found by IAEA investigators at three undeclared sites
If the recent confirmation that Iran has enriched uranium to just under the 90% weapons-grade threshold [it now stands at 84%— a line many analysts long believed to be a trigger for military action — does not force Paris, Berlin, or London to complete the UN snapback process — a political action — Jerusalem should finally accept the reality that Israel will need to confront this threat on its own terms, in its own ways, and on its own timelines. There is no cavalry coming from Paris or any other Western capital.
What more could Iran possibly do that would persuade France, German, and the U.K. to “snapback” all the restrictions that had been lifted from Iran as part of the 2015 JCPOA deal? Tehran has clearly been blatantly lying to the IAEA, refusing to give it access to camera data both from its new centrifuge plant in Isfahan, and refusing to explain the uranium particles found at three undeclared sites. The refusal of those nations to discuss military options against Iran is deeply disturbing to the Israelis, who keep hoping that others will finally grasp the nettle of stopping Iran’s nuclear program, now that Tehran has reached such a stage that within weeks it could, if it so chose, produce three nuclear bombs.
And what about the U.S.? Biden keeps saying that Iran will not become a nuclear power “on my watch.” But he has done nothing, as Iran has steadily been enriching uranium to ever-increasing levels of purity; he has done nothing about Iran’s misleading the IAEA investigators. He has given no signs that he is prepared to take military action in concert with Israel. Nor has there been any announcement about the delivery of America’s 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator, the bunker-buster that Israel will likely need if it is to successfully destroy Iranian nuclear facilities built deep underground at Natanz and deep inside a mountain at Fordow. Is America withholding that bomb from Israel’s arsenal in order to discourage an Israeli attack on Iran? It’s hard to fathom the Bidenites’ reasoning. Do they want a nuclear-armed Iran, which would not only threaten Israel, and Saudi Arabia, but also Europe and America? If they won’t join an Israeli attack on Iran, why won’t they at least provide Israel with the bunker-buster bombs it will need to be successful.
Tehran knows the difference between deterrence and deference, between pressure and platitude. Today, it fears only one country: Israel. This tiny democracy of nine million people will soon be forced to act in a manner that preserves freedom and prosperity for every American and European threatened by the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran. The best Netanyahu can hope for is a “thank you” when the job is done.
Even now the Israelis, while they still keep warning the Europeans and Americans about the Iranian threat, and keep hoping that soon America, at least, will come to its senses and join with Israel in attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities, are girding their loins for what is likely to be a solitary campaign by the Jewish state. The situation reminds one of the celebrated movie High Noon, when Gary Cooper straps on his holster and, as one by one the fearful townsfolk of Hadleyville abandon him, goes out to face the Miller Gang alone. That’s the position Israel is in. And at the end, when Iran’s nuclear facilities will have been destroyed by the Israelis — do you doubt that result? — a relieved world will manage to utter a collective “thank you” and then, I fear, will go right back to complaining about Israel’s “illegal settlements” in the “occupied West Bank.”
At the end of High Noon, Cooper was able to leave town. Israel cannot do that. If Israel destroys Iran’s program, the chicken feather nations will claim that killing Iranians was a human rights violation. If somehow, the people of Iran were freed of the Khameini Monster, they could to some extent redress the moral imbalance of power.
Only if they don’t go to their mosque every day.
Iran could be easily stopped, remove all western engineers and scientists from the place.
These people have no idea how to do anything of value, none. They rely on the west for everything significant. They couldn’t even extract their own oil without us.
Never underestimate the intelligence of the Persians. Never. You’d be dismayed, as I would, to learn that they are far more competent than we think.
The Iranians are selling arms to the Russians. How backwards is that?
I’ve been hearing about the nuclear high noon with Israel declaring that something has to be done NOW for decades. Nothing will be done. Iran will be a nuclear state and Israel will have to double-down on its nuclear triad–which it has–and implement a M.A.D strategy. The rest of the world has always wanted Israel, Pakistan and India to be in the NPT mechanism and I’ll guess that the worlds inaction vis-a-vis Iran is meant to pile on the pressure on the aforementioned countries so that they do join the NPT. Thats that. Iran will shortly be a nuclear state and many, many Israels will leave Israel–post Yom Kippur War on steroids type yerida–and Israel will have to suck it up. I wish it weren’t so, but it is what it is.
It is true that we have been living for many years in “high noon” for Israel, but Iran bumbling around with a nuclear warhead is new. Israel is a morally good nation that exercises restraint and respect for human life. We have also lived many years with Iran’s anti-Israel culture and idiotic suicidal hatred of and resentment towards Jews.
Nothing has changed except the means to make good on the promise to wipe Israel off the map.
Jews fleeing Israel might find themselves in a worse situation, as anti-Semitism grows worldwide. (Just as I finally gave up on my kids moving to Israel, it looks as if Israel will try to move here?) Believe me, immigration laws will be strictly enforced for Jews, just as they were prior to the Shoah.
This article illustrates Reality, every word shows the Truth.
The Iranian Regime is absolutely determined on Genocide, and only Israel can Stop Them.
Biden is Less than Useless, he is a Treacherous Corrupt Hypocritical Liar.
Israel will not stop them. Too late.
You don’t know that, anymore than most Israelis do. We don’t know what Israel’s arsenal consists of, because it isn’t advertised. Bear in mind that for most Israelis, there is nowhere else to go. Having experienced a few wars myself in that region, I would be most reluctant to flatly assert that we can do nothing.
Very wise. Israel has a history that should make reasonable people hesitate. But Arabs and sons of Ishmael are possessed by unreasonable hate and resentment.
Israel will do whatever is necessary whenever and wherever necessary to stop the Iranian bomb
Yes. And I look forward to the time when Israel destroys its enemies.
Make dust of the Iatolas. The people of Iran will be grateful.
How ugly that our government stands with the enemies of its own citizens.
Some Iranians will be grateful; many, however, are True Believers and support the Mullah-imposed Shari’a state. Don’t assume that most Iranians are secular and indifferent to the religion they are born into. Remember – the Shah was extremely unpopular, chiefly because of his reliance on his repressive secret police (the Savak), which he used to go after the religious zealots who were against his plans to secularize and Westernize his country. It appears, in retrospect, that such repressive force was needed to keep the True Believers in check. Sadly, he was ultimately unsuccessful…thanks, in part, to our incompetent president at the time, Jimmy Carter.
Iran being the only threat to Israel is a ruse! A deception to feed the Iran, Russia & China as the bad guys of this world…
Read the article and ask yourself… why would Saudi Arabia have to fear Iran??? It’s a satanic islamic country too!
The point is… satan’s islamic world is divided… Sunni vs Shiite… and America & the Sunni controlled Main Stream Media are all about covering up the satanic Sunni world…
See… all of satanic islam is a threat to Israel… so why does the media only portray Iran as the threat…
Don’t be duped!
Part 1
“ Iran being the only threat to Israel is a ruse! “
Nice strawman. Not many people would claim Iran is the ONLY threat to Israel. It is however the most looking and apocalyptic of them.
“A deception to feed the Iran, Russia & China as the bad guys of this world…”
Not helped by said dictatorships handily demonstrating they are bad guys in the world. It’s telling when the Kremlin – a thoroughly corrupt ally of most Satanic Muslim dictatorships that had caused a food crisis by invading Ukraine and had one of its priests declare rape victims were damned if they did not forgive their rapist- is the LEAST worst.
Yes… of course you couldn’t resist commenting about Russia… you’re beyond brainwashed.
Beyond you not knowing what is satanic…
Once again I’ll remind you… Russia & Ukraine are doing the bidding of the WEF and Golbalist Agenda…
Of course… the Hitler loving Neo-Nazi’s of Ukraine are getting what they deserve!
Do you find Zelensky attractive in his tight pants and high heels?
Part 2
“ Read the article and ask yourself… why would Saudi Arabia have to fear Iran??? It’s a satanic islamic country too!”
This is stupid even by your standards.
Both are Islamic countries but they are different branches of Islam. So you have a turf war over who is “right.”
“ The point is… satan’s islamic world is divided… Sunni vs Shiite…”
Which was the exact point you were ignoring when asking why Saudi Arabia would fear Iran.
L
Wrong again… it’ not a turf war!
It’s a religious division.. on which satanic islamic sect is correct on who gets to be the Caliph/Mahdi.
The old satanic islamic saying…
“I, against my brothers. I and my brothers against my cousins. I and my brothers and my cousins against the world.”
Saudi Arabia won’t ever fear Iran… not until satanic islam conquers the world together… <<< Which won't ever happen!
Now you know why muslims were killing muslims in Iraq… after the Christians were killed and driven off.
Part 3
“ and America & the Sunni controlled Main Stream Media are all about covering up the satanic Sunni world…”
Very true and a baleful problem. But that doesn’t justify carrying water for the Iranian mullahcracy.
“ See… all of satanic islam is a threat to Israel…”
True but there are differing levels of threat.
“ so why does the media only portray Iran as the threat…”
Even the MSM will usually cover things like Hezbollah and Hamas. So this is simply wrong.
You’re way out of touch with reality… as usual…
Hezbollah is a Shiite terrorist organization… Hamas is Palestinian… Sunni terrorist organization…
Whereas… the MSM covers what Israel does to to the poor pitiful Palestinians…
Is this the differing level of threat your talking about??? <<< hahaha
Ahmadinejad says he wants to "Wipe the Jews out to sea"… and the Palestinians send over rockets killing Jews… <<< So that makes Iran a bigger threat!?!?!? Because of words?
What world do you live in? Hitler loving Neo-Nazi Ukraine?
You are the one who doesn’t understand. We know very well that the Arab countries which have signed the Abraham Accords with us did so out of a desire to survive. Not because they love us. But these same countries also don’t want to be controlled by Iran or destroyed by Iran. So they looked carefully and saw that they do have common cause with a former enemy. These same Abraham Accords members are now reaping the rewards of business ventures, cooperation, and tourism benefits with us. Before you pontificate about a subject like this you should do some homework.
They didn’t sign anything for “survival”… they’re placating Israel and the world. Israel has made & signed several Peace Treaties with satanic islam ever since 1922 at the San Rem0 Conference… all have failed!
Additionally… satanic islam looks forward to a seven year period of Victory… whereas Christians view this period as the Tribulation.
satanic islam’s period of Victory will be a time period when muslims will go around the world killing Christians & Jews… this occurs when they raise mushammad’s green flag above his Tomb… it’s a signal to the satanic islam world to go out and kill non-muslims.
Besides… what do these… satanic islamic “Arab” countries have to worry about survival from Israel? To sign another Peace Treaty with Israel? Don’t tell me… you believe Israel is the aggressor in the ME… aye?
Yeah… you’re outta touch too…
Are the Saudis and countries of the Abraham Accords waiting for Israel to take out Iran so that they can then attack a weakened and exhausted Israel? If so one prays that G0d will “speedily nullify their council and disrupt their design”, to take a few words slightly out of context in the Shemoneh Esrei. But hard times might be coming and we can only thank G0d and the more sensible of the Israeli people that Netanyahu is in the saddle once again. They need G0d and the prayers of the world’s Jews and Christians first of all, but they need a solid leader, too.
Thank you… speak the Truth…
Israel will be in the NPT and backing that up with M.A.D. I dont like it, but they’ve waited too long hoping to catch a break from the U.S.
Listen up Hugh, England was NOT left alone however Britain was indeed left alone and just in case your Geography Class all those years ago didn’t inform you that England is a PART of a country known as Britain and to suggest England fought the WW2 alone is too insult the Scots, Welsh and N.Irish that fought and died in that War all those years ago.
Iran knows they cannot defeat Israel but they will try and when they lose they will scream to allah and any other morons how evil the Jews are even if the Iranian idiots fired first.
Israel is watching them as Old Joe sends them CASH and this will end when those silly old turbaned headed pedophiles are thrown off a rooftop to the cheers of the Iranian people.
The remaining family of The Shah have a Plane ready and fueled sitting at SFO as they live in a town called Woodside in the Portola Valley of Northern California a mere 10 minute Helicopter ride from their mansion to the San Francisco International Airport, SFO.
The Son of the Shah is ready and able to take over Iran in a heartbeat.
Netanyahu has said: It will not happen again. I believe him.
The government authorities and officials of the State of Israel have a duty and responsibility to ensure the safety security and lives of the people who are citizens of that nation from that malice- filled jihad entities murder/terror attacks from Hamas, Hezbollah and so forth.
Likewise, Israel has every ethical and practical to bomb be it nuclear armed missile production and other deadly weapons manufacturing stations in the aggressive and hostile “mullah regime” of Iran that have intention of destroying the Jewish State of Israel.
Therefore, Israel is right and righteous and just a strike force in self-defense.
As the fifth President of the United States, James Monroe, wisely, had declared “The right to self-defense never ceases. It is among the most sacred, and alike necessary to nations and to individuals.”
All those Muslims in power in that “mullah regime” of Iran with hates the Jewish people as well as the State of Israel and wants her to be destroyed and use their stooge jihad organizations ,Hamas and Hezbollah to attempt to weaken and then eliminated the Jewish State ,once and for all are in reality delusional.
Those ayatollahs and mullahs and others in control of that hostile Israel hating tyranny of Iran have no idea, at all, that they are fated to totally fated to fail in their Islamic quest to destroy Israel.
The reason that this is so is because God is for Israel and will not let her be destroyed no matter how hard those malice-filled Israel despising imams and other Muslims clerics and their President Raisi will strive against Israel , they are all greatly overruled by God.
For example, the Bible in Psalm 135:4 reads “For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure.” [N.K.J.V.]
Nice thoughts, but remember that a covenant works both ways. Israel has not kept to her side of the agreement; she has allowed all manner of immorality to flourish so as to be attractive to the wrong people, who are impressed with the gay-friendly, tolerant Portugal-on-the-Mediterranean (to quote Meir Kahane). When I read of sodomite “pride” parades prancing down the streets in Israeli cities I shudder, remembering the bloodcurdling warnings of the Bible in which G0d makes quite clear what will happen to Israel if she behaves in the orgiastic manner of the nations that surrounded them, and that they supplanted. These warnings have come true on several occasions and could come true again tomorrow. It wouldn’t be the first time Persia was one of G0d’s scourges. Israel would be wiser to stick to Jewish values and keep its side of the covenant, and it would have an easier time making friends of the right kind of people, including many very powerful countries that find Western behavior disgusting.