It’s evident that, in the short term, Israel benefitted from the American decision to destroy Iran’s hardest-to-get-at nuclear sites. After all, Israel has the most to lose from a nuclear-armed Iran. But it’s also possible that, in the grand scheme of things, U.S. participation in the campaign was good for America, but less good for Israel. I hope this selection and the one that follows might, taken together, explain why.
For America, there is an overwhelming need to keep Iran in check. There is also, as Doug Feith and Dore Feith explain, a need to maintain global nonproliferation policy:
This was the first time the United States used a military attack to stop a country from acquiring a nuclear bomb. In the past, it had opposed nuclear proliferation through diplomatic pressure, economic sanctions, and multilateral agreements. Those means have their merits but also their limitations. To be effective against rogue regimes, they have to be backed by power. President Trump has now made clear that America has that power and will use it to serve its nonproliferation purposes.
If Iran became a nuclear power, the danger would extend beyond aggression, sponsorship of terrorism, and other bad actions by Iran. Iran’s achievement would spur Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and other states in the Middle East and beyond to become nuclear powers too. The number of nuclear powers in the world, now fewer than ten, could in short order grow to twenty or thirty. This would create greater risks of catastrophic accidents and “dirty”-bomb terrorist attacks. If the world had dozens of nuclear powers, the likelihood of nuclear conflict would increase. Even a limited nuclear exchange could produce enormous harm, and not just to the parties involved in the exchange.
The blow struck by Operation Midnight Hammer will reverberate globally. Any country seeking a nuclear bomb—or considering providing one to others—now understands the United States may use force against it.
Read more on Washington Free Beacon: https://freebeacon.com/national-security/bigger-than-just-iran/