On this episode of Palestine This Week, we dive into the rapidly escalating war between Israel and Iran. Mouin Rabbani joins Nasim Ahmed to unpack the timing, motives, and wider implications of Israel’s unprovoked strike, launched even as Iranian officials were engaged in negotiations with the US. Meanwhile in Gaza, another mass casualty event unfolded as starving civilians were killed while queuing for food.

We examine Israel’s stated justification for the attack: an IAEA report claiming Iran is in breach of its obligations under the non-proliferation agreement. Yet the same document explicitly acknowledges there is no evidence Iran is developing a nuclear weapon. 

Is this ambiguous language being manipulated to serve long-standing political goals? We also discuss Iran’s release of documents alleging collusion between Israel and the IAEA and what it could mean if Iran walks away from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty altogether.

We examine the legal justifications offered by Israel for its attack—specifically the claim of a “pre-emptive strike.” Yet prior to the attack, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told the Senate that Iran was not actively pursuing a nuclear weapon. CNN reporting echoed that conclusion, citing American intelligence assessments that Iran was at least three years away from being able to build and deliver one.

We close by looking at how this war is being sold by the same voices who cheer leaded the Iraq invasion. With Netanyahu facing domestic collapse, has he gambled on a wider war to save his political career? What are the risks if Arab states, China, and Russia allow this to continue unchecked?