Attack on Iran would start long war

Any Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities would start a “lengthy war” with regional and global implications, a think tank says.

The Oxford Research Group, which promotes non-violent solutions to conflict, said that military action should be ruled out as a response to Iran’s nuclear program.

“An Israeli attack on Iran would be the start of a protracted conflict,” it said in a report by Paul Rogers, who is a professor of peace studies at the University of Bradford.

The think tank’s report warned that any Israeli attack on Iran would also lead to instability and unpredictable security consequences for the region and the wider world.

US military action against Iran appeared unlikely but the possibility for an Israeli offensive on Iran has increased, the report added.

“Long-range strike aircraft acquired from the United States, combined with an improved fleet of tanker aircraft, the deployment of long-range drones and the probable availability of support facilities in northeast Iraq and Azerbaijan, all increase Israel’s potential for action against Iran,” it said.

Any Israeli strike would be focused not only on destroying nuclear and missile targets but would also hit factories and research centers and even university laboratories to damage Iranian expertise, the report stated.

This would cause many civilian casualties, it added.

Military action would include the direct bombing of targets in Tehran and probably include attempts to kill the technocrats who manage Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, the report noted.

“Iranian responses would also be long-term, ushering in a lengthy war with global as well as regional implications,” Rogers said.