Debunking the naïve narrative and understanding the logic behind Israel’s preemptive doctrine against Iran.

In the increasingly polarized global conversation around the Middle East, one refrain has gained traction in certain corners of media and activism: “Iran doesn’t even have a nuclear bomb—so why is Israel attacking?” It’s a question that, on the surface, seems fair. But beneath its simplicity lies a dangerous misunderstanding of both strategy and history.

Those who repeat this line often fall into the category of what Lenin once dubbed “useful idiots”—individuals who, whether knowingly or not, advance a narrative that serves hostile regimes. By focusing solely on Iran’s current nuclear status, they ignore the broader picture: Iran’s pursuit of nuclear capability, its long-term ambitions, and its well-documented record of deception and violence across the region.

Israel’s military actions against Iranian targets—whether in Syria, Iraq, or through cyber means—are not impulsive aggressions but part of a long-standing doctrine of preemption. Known as the Begin Doctrine, it asserts that Israel cannot allow enemy states to acquire the means of mass destruction. It was this logic that guided Israel’s strikes on Iraq’s Osirak reactor in 1981 and Syria’s al-Kibar site in 2007.

Critics argue that Iran has not yet crossed the technical threshold into nuclear weaponization. True—but irrelevant. Israeli intelligence does not measure threats in binary terms. It assesses intentions, capabilities, and momentum. Iran’s rapid uranium enrichment, its development of advanced centrifuges, and the hardening of its military facilities speak volumes. Add to this a regime that openly calls for the destruction of Israel, and the justification for preemptive action becomes more than rhetorical.

Furthermore, the Islamic Republic’s nuclear ambitions do not exist in a vacuum. They are part of a larger regional posture that includes funding proxy militias, destabilizing governments, and deploying ballistic missiles. Waiting for Iran to declare itself nuclear-ready would be strategic suicide, not prudence.

It’s also worth noting the failures of the international community to contain Iran through diplomacy alone. While the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) offered temporary relief, it left loopholes and expiration dates that Israel found unacceptable. The U.S. withdrawal from the deal in 2018 and Iran’s violations since then only validated Israeli skepticism.

The individuals who chant “Iran doesn’t have the bomb” rarely consider the stakes. They assume that once Iran obtains a weapon, the world will simply contain it. But the Middle East is not a stable chessboard. It’s a volatile terrain where nuclear miscalculation could ignite a catastrophe far beyond regional boundaries.

Israel’s actions are not about fear-mongering or distraction. They are about survival. History has taught the Jewish state that waiting for the world to act is often fatal. And when that world is busy appeasing, equivocating, or engaging in moral relativism, Israel cannot afford to gamble on hope.

To those who question why Israel attacks now, the answer is both simple and profound: because later might be too late.