Iran attacks Israel: missiles reignite a historical debate

Iran attacks Israel: the offensive that reopens old wounds

Iran's launch of missiles and drones against Israel has unleashed a torrent of historical analysis that goes beyond the immediate attack. While defense systems intercept the projectiles, another battle is being fought in debate circles: the interpretation of who has really won past wars.

The most striking detail is the reference to the "12-day war" — a 1973 conflict in which Israel, according to one school of thought, needed US air support to avoid defeat. However, from the other side it is pointed out that Israel has won all its wars while outnumbered, from 1948 to 1967, when it destroyed the Egyptian air force by surprise.

The role of the United States: support or direction?

A recurring point of friction is Washington's role. While some argue that without unlimited US backing Israel could not survive, others contend that military aid does not determine Israel's combat capability, which has proven to be autonomous. The argument heats up when the 2006 war with Hezbollah is mentioned, which some consider a defeat and others a tactical victory.

The Sunni factor and the fall of Assad

A less common analysis points out that the Sunnis, by toppling Assad, deprived Iran of a key ally, and that without that change the Gaza war in 2023 might have had a different outcome. This geopolitical approach, though a minority view, adds a layer of complexity that the official narrative usually overlooks.

With the missiles still in the air, the only thing that is clear is that the historical narrative is as fragmented as the debris of the projectiles. The question that remains: what war are they really fighting — the one of the present or the one of the past?