THE US-Israel war on Iran has entered its second week. It has had a devastating effect on the region and beyond. Despite continuous bombing that has targeted both military installations and civilian populations, efforts to make the Islamic Republic surrender have not succeeded. Iran has suffered the loss of its top leadership and significant damage to its military capabilities. But it continues to fight back with unexpected ferocity.

US President Donald Trump’s aspiration for regime change through air power has proved to be unsuccessful as Iran has appointed a new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the assassinated head. His selection is viewed as a sign of continuity as well as defiance. Analysts suggest it is unimaginable that someone whose father, mother, wife, sister and son have been killed by the US and Israel would surrender to Trump’s whims. The martyrdom of his father has galvanised public support for Mojtaba Khamenei, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets of Tehran and other Iranian cities to celebrate his appointment, defying the ongoing US-Israeli bombings.

As Iran elects a new leader, the US and Israel have intensified their bombings of both military and civilian installations. Israel’s attacks on Iran’s oil infrastructure are believed to have caused long-term environmental damage. Even as Iranians filled the streets to mark the new supreme leader’s appointment, a major oil depot outside Tehran, struck by Israeli warplanes, continued to burn. According to the World Health Organisation chief: “Damage to petroleum facilities in Iran risks contaminating food, water, and air — hazards that can have severe health impacts,........

© Dawn