Editor’s note: This piece was originally published in October 2023 and has been updated in light of recent events. Over night on 13 April, Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel. The Israeli military said Israel, along with the US, UK and Jordan, intercepted more than 300 cruise missiles and drones, mostly outside Israeli airspace. However, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman said some Iranian missiles struck Israel, causing minor damage, including to a military base. A young Bedouin girl was injured by shrapnel and taken to hospital in critical condition. Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on 14 April that Iran’s “campaign is not over yet” and that Israel must “remain alert”. Iran’s attack against Israel followed the 1 April strike against the Iranian embassy in Damascus, and is a major escalation in the region that has been on the brink since Hamas’s terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October.
Below, John Jenkins, the former British ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Libya, Iraq and Syria, explains what the West gets wrong about Iran and how that could affect regional stability.
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