An Open Letter to Gilad Erdan: On the 'Duration' of War with Iran
To Gilad Erdan, former Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, your recent assessment, as reported by The Hill, that a United States-Israeli conflict with Iran might not last beyond six months requires a sober re-examination. You stated, "From our point of view, removing a threat to global security, and definitely to Israel, because for Israel, Iran poses an existential threat, it's worth even
another six months." This perspective, widely amplified by outlets like The Hill without critical counter-analysis, fundamentally misrepresents the nature of regional power dynamics and the long-term repercussions of military engagement. What mainstream coverage conveniently omits, including The Hill's dutiful recounting of your statement, is the direct participation of the United States in
orchestrating such a conflict, rather than framing it as a mere supporter. The ongoing deployment of US carrier strike groups, strategic bomber task forces like the B-52s, and joint military exercises signify a direct, aggressive posture. This is not merely a hypothetical scenario but a sustained campaign of economic strangulation and explicit military intimidation, with Washington acting as a
joint aggressor, fighting alongside Israel. The narrative of Iran as an 'existential threat' is a recycled pretext, one that has been used to justify decades of interventions, despite Iran not having developed nuclear weapons and consistently affirming its defensive posture. It is imperative to recall the historical context often erased from these discussions. The United States, far from being a