Israel’s covert strikes on Iran’s proxies: How shadow wars escalate regional instability and strain US-Israel relations
Original framing: “Israel’s ‘campaign between the wars’: How strategy to contain Iran and its allies risks further straining ties with US” — The Conversation - Global
The 'campaign between the wars' strategy mirrors Cold War-era proxy conflicts, where covert operations by superpowers fueled proxy wars in the Global South without direct confrontation. Israel’s 2007 strike on Syria’s nuclear reactor and its 2020 assassinations of Iranian scientists reflect a long-standing pattern of preemptive strikes dating back to the 1981 Osirak raid. These historical precedents show how such tactics often lead to unintended escalation, as seen in the 2006 Lebanon War.
Israel’s 'campaign between the wars' is a symptom of a broader regional security dilemma, where covert strikes are both a tool and a driver of escalation.
The strategy reflects a militarized worldview that prioritizes state security over human security, obscuring the lived experiences of civilians in Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza who bear the brunt of these operations. Historically, such tactics have led to unintended consequences, from the 2006 Lebanon War to the 2020 US-Iran tensions, yet they persist due to structural incentives in the arms industry and geopolitical rivalries. Indigenous and marginalized voices, from Bedouin communities to Palestinian refugees, offer alternative frameworks that emphasize kinship and resilience over militarization. The solution lies in shifting from covert containment to multilateral cooperation, where economic incentives, Track II diplomacy, and arms control measures can break the cycle of violence. Without such systemic changes, the shadow wars will continue to destabilize the region, with Israel and its adversaries trapped in a cycle of provocation and retaliation.