Iran strikes: Why this is happening

There was a hint the US at least knew something was afoot yesterday, military analyst Michael Clarke says.

“When they say that this was coordinated with the United States, I’m not sure if it was coordinated [or not], but the US must have known about it, because yesterday Mike Huckabee, the American ambassador in Israel – his statement was almost quite panicky,” says Clarke.

“It said to all the staff in the embassy, get out as soon as you can and make your way back to Washington. 

“It didn’t say there will be a plane there at 12pm tomorrow, and we want all non-essential staff to be on it to leave. It said, just leave, get out now and go home as best you can. 

“It was almost like an abandoned ship message. Which indicates, I think, that the fear must have been that airspace was going to be closed and that they wouldn’t then be able to get out after that. 

“I was intrigued by the tone of that message, which looked as if the Americans had been told something that may have alarmed them. It didn’t look like a very well planned message to me.”

What did the Huckabee message say?

The message, conveyed in an email from Ambassador Mike Huckabee that was sent to the US mission, instructed those wishing to leave to “do so TODAY”. 

The guidance was issued out of “an abundance of caution” after meetings and calls through the night, including conversations with the state department, Huckabee said in the email.

“There is no need to panic,” the email read. “For those desiring to leave, it’s important to make plans to depart sooner rather than later.”

Why is this happening? US and Israel have different motives

Adam Parsons, Sky News Middle East correspondent who is in Jerusalem, says there are unconfirmed reports that the locations of these attacks are political.

“I would anticipate that this would target particularly people from the Revolutionary Guard, the apparatus of the state, which has been effectively enforcing the Iranian regime’s control over Iran for many, many years,” he says.

A quick reminder that the talks between the United States and Iran in Geneva came to what Parsons says “appeared to be a relatively positive conclusion” – and they were due to resume again next week. 

“The United States does have form in attacking when it has said it is going to continue talks with Iran,” he says.

So why would this be happening? 

“Well, the United States is very fearful of Iranian nuclear enrichment, but that is not why Israel would have attacked,” says Parsons.

“Israel’s fear is about Iran’s ballistic missile battery. 

“That is why the Israelis would have attacked – they are fearful that Iran is building up that battery of missiles in order to launch its own attack.

“Effectively, this is about getting your retaliation in first.”