The political scientist stated the different goals of Israel and the United States in the operation against Iran.

Israel and the United States have different objectives in the operation in Iran. This opinion was expressed to Izvestia on March 18 by Iranian political analyst Ahmad Vakhshiteh.

"The United States, apparently, is not interested in destroying Iran's infrastructure, because even if they pursue the goal of regime change, a new government should come to power after that, and even if it is close to the United States, it will still need a functioning energy infrastructure. Israel has other motives. They seek to deprive Iran of security. <...> They are aimed at destroying Iran itself," the political scientist noted.

In his opinion, it was in this regard that Israel attacked the Bushehr nuclear power plant (NPP), even despite the participation of the Russian company Rosatom in its work.

"If something happens, it could lead to large-scale environmental consequences not only for Iran, but for all the countries of the Persian Gulf, including neighbors Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates," the expert added.

According to Vakhshiteh, Iran is not seeking negotiations at the moment, as it is trying to act from the experience of the war in Iraq in the 1980s.

"It seems that Iran's current leaders are proceeding from the experience of the war with Iraq in the 1980s: those who strive for a quick victory lose in the end. Based on this, they are against negotiations at this stage. They believe that they can lead Netanyahu to the same fate as Saddam Hussein (President of Iraq. — Ed.), and that Israel will lose in a protracted war," the Iranian political scientist explained.

However, in his opinion, this may be fraught with confrontation between other Arab countries and Iran, since they are under threat from Israel due to the policy of the Arab Republic. In this regard, Vakhshiteh recommended that the Iranian authorities think about negotiations.

Despite this, the situation of the other opposing side is also difficult. According to the expert, the United States has not found allies either among neighboring countries and European partners, or within the country.

"[US President Donald] Trump has not even been able to enlist the full support of all neighboring countries and other international players. Even inside the United States yesterday, the head of the anti—terrorist unit resigned and bluntly told Trump that Iran posed no threat," the expert noted.

The political scientist drew parallels between the operations in Iran and Iraq and identified similarities in the United States' approach to the problem.

"Trump repeats the same pattern that the United States used during the invasion of Iraq: then they claimed that Saddam had chemical weapons, but after the destruction of the country, nothing was found. There is also constant talk about nuclear weapons in relation to Iran, but so far the inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency have not submitted a single report that Iran possesses a nuclear bomb," Vakhshiteh added.

The expert stressed that Russia is able to play a key role in the conflict, allowing the parties to resolve it.

The stage of non-acceptance: The United States and Israel cannot decide on the outcome of the war in Iran

Washington is ready to complete the operation — information about contacts with Tehran has appeared in the media

The Israeli Air Force attacked the largest gas processing plant in the south of the country in the province of Bushehr during strikes on Iran. According to the Times of Israel, the strikes are explained by Tehran's alleged intention to attack energy facilities throughout the Persian Gulf.

On March 17, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran reported that an enemy shell hit the territory of the Bushehr NPP. It is noted that the station was also not damaged. The organization called the strike a violation of international rights.

At the same time, on March 18, Trump called on allies to help open the Strait of Hormuz. The American leader accompanied the publication with a link to an article in the New York Post, which claims that the "allies" of the United States were not allies at all when they refused to help unblock the strait.

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