Muhammad Murtaza, a Pakistani researcher in international relations and Project Manager at the Pak Institute for Peace Studies, believes the Israeli regime is pursuing a dual strategy against Iran: one, to create political instability and insecurity inside the country; and two, to instill a broader sense of national insecurity.

According to him, over the years, the Israeli regime has established a complex network of spies and operatives inside Iran to carry out acts of sabotage in parallel with its overt military attacks.

During an interview with the Tehran Times, Murtaza analyzed the motivations behind Israel’s recent assaults on Iran, the role of U.S. support in enabling these aggressions, and the broader implications for stability in West Asia. He outlined Israel’s two-pronged strategy—combining sabotage with brute force—addressed the distortions in Western media coverage, and called for multilateral action to confront the rising tide of violence.

Below is the full text of the interview: 

These days, the world is witnessing blatant acts of aggression by the Israeli regime against Iran and its people. In your view, why does this regime commit such crimes against defenseless civilians in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran? What drives it to continue these aggressions, including targeted assassinations?

The Israeli regime is targeting Iran and its people because of their unequivocal support for the oppressed people of Palestine, who are facing mass genocide since birth of Israeli regime, which has exponentially increased with the passage of time, reaching record high in the past year. Iran supports the oppressed people with all means available at its disposal. 

For Israel to attack Iran comes not with a surprise, as in past year, we have witnessed a major change in the calculus of West Asia with Iranian allies under stress by the Israel’s aggression backed by the United States of America. The perseverance of people in Gaza and Lebanon depicts the continued resistance against Israel’s imperial ambitions in the region. 

Israeli regime believes that the time is ripe to bring change in Iran, with allies weakened-like a domino effect. This comes with a two-pronged strategy. To create unrest within Iran to destabilize it politically and to create an environment of insecurity within Iran. To achieve this, for years it has established an intricate network of spies and facilitators within Iran that carried out different sabotage operations parallel to Israel’s blatant act of aggression on June 13. The assassinations come in context to weaken the system in Iran and to give impression that by knocking out its top tier of its political, military and scientific community Iran has reached at cul-de-sac. Secondly, the use of brute force is to coerce Iran to surrender and to cease support of Palestinian people, to which Iran is committed since the inception of the Islamic Revolution.

The Israeli regime claims to be targeting Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, yet it clearly strikes hospitals, infrastructure, and media institutions, with many of the victims being women and children. How can this contradiction be explained? What is the real objective behind these actions?

The ethnocentric mindset of being the superior race that overwhelms Israeli regime is evident from its strikes on nonmilitary targets and noncombatants, a grave violation of international law. The attacks on hospitals, infrastructure, and media institutions aims to conceal its failure to achieve any success by targeting Iran’s nuclear and missile program. The Israeli regime claim of targeting Iran’s nuclear and missile program is beyond its strike capability. This is evident, from United States leading the strikes at Natanz, Fordow and Esfahan nuclear sites after days of Israeli regime’s aggression against Iran.

The real objective that determines Israeli regime provocative actions against Iran can be assessed by two scenarios. A military operation against Iran in close coordination with the United States, eventually United States joining the kinetic actions against Iran despite the smokescreen of nuclear negotiations.

Secondly, the economic pressure and covert operations to weaken the Islamic Revolution. Now, we are simultaneously witnessing both scenarios unfolding in front of us. To minimize threat from Iran, Israeli regime seeks to change the political system of Iran for which it has employed these two facets.

Although the UN and many human rights organizations have documented the war crimes of the Israeli regime, Western governments continue to support it militarily and politically. Why do you think Western countries largely remain silent in the face of these crimes?

The silence of western countries amidst all the war crimes of Israeli aggression depicts complicity of these countries at large and a mindset that overwhelms the western capitals.

Western media often portray the Israeli regime as acting in self-defense while ignoring its massacres of civilians in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, as well as its assassination campaigns. How do you interpret this media bias, and what can be done to counter it?

The existing media bias dates to its origin, as its values of truth lie within the yellow journalism, fulfilling the needs of capitalistic system. One component of war includes ‘war of narratives which helps to cover up the war crimes committed by the aggressor. This mostly relies on misinformation and disinformation. Most of the time, incidents reported by the western media lack facts. At times, it intentionally misleads its audience. 

The western media by ignoring acts of aggression of Israeli regime and portraying massacre of innocent civilians as self-defense clearly vindicates its double standards. Since digital spaces have reduced global space, the best strategy is to effectively use these digital spaces to counter the narrative of mainstream media. This also comes with responsible reporting of events taking place and should unravel the heinous crimes of Israeli aggression in organized manner as by nature humans prefer truth over lie.

What do you believe is the long-term goal of the Zionist regime’s aggressive and expansionist policies? What threats do these ambitions pose to its neighbors in West Asia?

The long-term goal of Zionist regime is the formation of “Greater Israel” as envisioned by founding fathers, a vision that transcends all borders. The extra territorial maneuvers vindicate the thinking pattern of the Zionist regime. Historical precedents depict, whenever an opportunity arises to purse its expansionist polices, Zionist regime makes most of it by using kinetic and diplomatic tools; be it Arab Israel War, Camp David or Oslo Accord. 

In contemporary times, a similar pattern can be observed with normalization of relations with Arab neighbors under the auspices of Abraham Accords and at the same time muzzling down any resistance that challenges its illegitimate existence. These aggressive and expansionist polices pose a serious threat to its neighbors and the entire West Asia. 

The United States routinely vetoes UN resolutions condemning the Israeli regime’s crimes. In your opinion, do U.S. policies enable and sustain these aggressions? How can both regimes be held accountable?

United States is pioneer of rule based international order established, in aftermath of the World War II. Since then, United States itself has never adhered to the values of the system it had created.
Despite condemnation of United Nations of war crimes committed by the Israeli regime; U.S. supports the regime not only at diplomatic but on economic and military front as well. Before the Israeli regime strikes on Iran, United States was keen on negotiations with Iran on nuclear issue, but all efforts turned upside down the moment an act of aggression committed by Israeli regime, which acts as a satellite state of United States in West Asia. 

Furthermore, latest strikes of United States on Iran’s nuclear sites indicate a nexus between both regimes to destabilize the region. To hold accountable, the international community should take measures on a multilateral level. The decision makers of these regimes should be tried at the International Criminal Court and regimes be tried at the International Court of Justice. 

Secondly, a comprehensive sanction mechanism to be imposed on these regimes. This can be achieved by enhancing cooperation within the Global South and with great eastern powers. Finally, collectively investing on research and development to develop alternative technologies at par with these regimes.

What is your personal reaction to the recent attacks by this regime against Iran and the killing of civilians? What message would you like to share?

These are hard times, and a collective response of the Iranian nation will defeat these acts of aggression. We stand by our Iranian brothers and sisters in these times and would support them by any mean possible.