For years, Israel and Iran have been locked in a quiet but deadly “shadow war” – one fought through cyberattacks, assassinations, sabotage, and proxy battles. Israeli airstrikes on Iranian weapons convoys in Syria, mysterious explosions at Iranian nuclear facilities, and the targeted killing of Iranian scientists were all part of a long-running effort by Israel to keep Iran’s regional ambitions in check. These actions, while serious, rarely made front-page news:
Timeline: Israel’s Shadow War with Iran
2010 – Stuxnet cyberattack
A sophisticated virus, reportedly developed by Israel and the U.S., sabotages Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, damaging nearly 1,000 centrifuges.
2010–2012 – Nuclear scientist assassinations
A string of Iranian nuclear scientists are killed in Tehran. Israel is widely suspected, though it never claims responsibility.
2013–present – Airstrikes in Syria
Israel begins regular air raids targeting Iranian weapons convoys, missile sites, and Iranian-backed militias in Syria. Hundreds of strikes occur over the next decade, rarely acknowledged publicly.
2018 – Mossad raids Tehran
Israeli intelligence agents steal thousands of documents from Iran’s nuclear archive in a bold operation. Netanyahu later presents them as proof Iran was lying about its nuclear intentions.
2020 – Mohsen Fakhrizadeh assassinated
Iran’s top nuclear scientist is killed in a highly sophisticated ambush near Tehran.
2021 – Natanz facility attacked again
An explosion disrupts operations at Iran’s key nuclear facility. Israel is suspected, with reports of internal sabotage.
2023 – Gaza war begins
After a Hamas-led attack, Israel launches a major ground invasion of Gaza. Iran’s proxies across the region, including Hezbollah and the Houthis, begin coordinated attacks on Israel and its allies.
2024 – Escalation spreads
Hezbollah fires thousands of rockets into northern Israel. The Houthis target Red Sea shipping. Israeli airstrikes intensify across Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq.
So why now – after years of this low-intensity conflict – has it exploded into a full-blown international crisis?
The answer lies in a dramatic shift: Israel is no longer confining its actions to the shadows. It has begun striking directly at Iranian territory. The war has moved from proxies to principals.
In early 2025, Israeli jets carried out strikes inside Iran targeting Revolutionary Guard facilities and key infrastructure. Unlike past incidents that could be denied or downplayed, these strikes were open, deliberate, and unmistakably aimed at the heart of the Iranian regime. In doing so, Israel crossed a line that had previously kept the broader region from tipping into chaos.
This escalation comes amid a broader regional war. Since the eruption of hostilities in Gaza in late 2023, Iran has transformed from a strategic rival to the central hub of a growing anti-Israel alliance. Hezbollah, the Houthis, and armed militias in Iraq and Syria have ramped up coordinated attacks, many of them directly linked to Tehran. For Israel, this is no longer a matter of containment – it’s a war for survival on multiple fronts.
Then there’s the Trump factor. The return of Donald Trump to the White House has sent a clear message: Israel has full American backing, no matter how aggressive its tactics. Trump has long been an unapologetic supporter of Israeli leadership, especially Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His administration has vetoed UN resolutions, increased military aid, and praised Israeli strikes as acts of “self-defense,” even when they cross red lines. With Trump back in power, Israeli leaders feel emboldened to act without fear of serious international repercussions.
The risk is enormous. A direct war between Israel and Iran could engulf the Middle East. U.S. troops and bases are within range of Iranian missiles. Global oil supply routes could be disrupted. Civilian populations from Tel Aviv to Tehran – and far beyond – would bear the cost.
Israel’s military strategy has shifted from defensive containment to offensive deterrence. And under Trump, there’s little incentive for restraint.
For years, the world ignored the slow burn of the Israel–Iran conflict. Now, with open strikes, a U.S. president cheering from the sidelines, and the region on edge, the shadow war has become a spotlight crisis. The danger is no longer hypothetical – it’s unfolding in real time.
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Michael, your informative article illustrates the danger of the US to our nation, especially with our nation’s signing to the AUKUS 1 + 2 Agreements.
Of special interest: Australia will be told to buy three second-hand US Virginia-class submarines from the US, from 2032 onwards, with options to purchase two more.
After that, the plan is to design and build an entirely new nuclear-powered submarine model X 5 for our Nation’s Naval Forces. (More than likely they will be borrowed by the USA.)
So, as it stands, we do not gain a dickie bird between now and 2032.
Yet the US and the UK will gain, during the interim period, full access to a specially constructed Western Australian Navy Port.
The current tale about the 5? Nuclear Submarines, does suggest that both Britain and Australia will build the Nuclear model submarines, after that mammoth construction project, the unreliable USA will be called upon to direct the installation of the internal Nuclear Missile Launching Gorgon.
Even so, the US will still want their major cut of the allotted $368 Billion dollars now up for grabs. (That being subject to the US remaining free of bankruptcy up until at least the year 2032″?
I have noted that the construction of the five Nuclear powered Submarines is to be between the UK and Australia.
Also, a portion of that $368 Billion has already been advanced for the training of; our new Nuclear Submarine crews. (Perhaps a little bit early.)
In my mind, there is very little to be gained, other than perhaps, or maybe likely,
5 pre-loved US Alexander class submarines. (Which will save those severely flogged pre-loved submarines from ending up in some huge USA rubbish tip.)
As for Nuclear submarines, the US will have by then, massively jacked up their unprecedented costs.
It is hoped our succeeding Prime Ministers will not fall for the usual spiel of the US promised delivery dates.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/15/aukus-will-cost-australia-368bn-what-if-there-was-a-better-cheaper-defence-strategy
@ Michael Taylor: Uhm ….. There is a more important commercial reason for this US proxy attack on Tehran. The PRC CHINA Belt & Road Development has just completed the overland rail link between manufacturing centres in PRC China and Western Europe markets.
This important trade development has:
Moved freight from shipping taking about 30 days to rail taking about 15 days to get to the markets;
.
Allows PRC China to TRADE WITHOUT USING US DOLLARS while supporting the rival BRICS international currency;
.
Eliminates the use & costs of maritime freight movements, no piracy problems in the Red Sea inflating insurance premiums.
.
Challenges US dominance in international currency movements.
It is time for Australia to THINK BIG and develop railway assets that have been ignored for too long by supporting the interstate trucking industry that necessarily destroys the highways designed for 1950s traffic movements by much lighter vehicles than the 40 tonne B-Doubles & the new 70 tonne B-Triples coming to a highway near you.
.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/bloody.do.gooders/?multi_permalinks=2643034012510172¬if_id=1751241485617812¬if_t=feedback_reaction_generic&ref=notif
NEC, there’s lots I could have added, but I stuck to the events that came up the most in Google searches.
I wonder if the end game goal of Israel govt is land and resources. Is it more than protecting borders, or more about grabbing more land – as in Gaza, Syria, Lebanon?