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Iran's High-Stakes Gamble: Why It's Pursuing War Despite the Risks

Iran's Internal Crisis and External Pressure: A Dangerous Gamble Against Israel That Could Jeopardise Its Leadership and Stability. Here's Why Iran is Pursuing War Despite the Risks.

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Iran's Supreme Leader

Iran's High-Stakes Gamble: Why It's Pursuing War Despite the Risks \ Courtesy: Special arrangement

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Iran's Identity Crisis: The Pressure to Confront Israel

With Iran’s firing of some 180 ballistic missiles at Israel overnight, the Middle East is again on the brink of what would be a costly, ruinous regional war. Israel and its ally, the United States, shot down most of the missiles.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately vowed to retaliate for the attack. He called it a “big mistake” that Iran will “pay for”.

The strike marked a dramatic shift in Iran’s calculations following weeks of escalating Israeli attacks on the leaders of its proxy groups, Hamas and Hezbollah, and their forces in both Gaza and Lebanon.

Iran's war tactic has been one that traditionally outsources its fighting to Hezbollah and Hamas. It has been very much concerned about getting dragged into direct confrontation with Israel because of the ramifications for the ruling regime – namely the possible internal dissent and chaos that any war with Israel might generate.

When Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran in late July, Iran’s leaders said they would respond appropriately. They basically left it to Hezbollah to do that.

And as Israel intensified its military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon in recent weeks, another one of Iran's proxy group, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, claimed to have retaliated by launching missile

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