Sat Sep 28 21:19:08 UTC 2024: ## Israel’s Offensive Leaves Iran on the Back Foot: MEF Chief Editor
**JERUSALEM, 28 September 2024:** Following the recent demise of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, the Middle East Forum’s Chief Editor Jim Hanson believes Israel’s decisive response is pushing Iran into a defensive posture.
Speaking with FOX News Saturday morning, Hanson argued that Israel’s military operation against Hezbollah, which included a successful “pager” attack targeting the group’s leadership, has effectively neutralized the Iranian proxy. He asserted that Iran’s attempts to use proxies to instigate a regional war have been thwarted, with the Iranian leadership potentially even resorting to hiding in bunkers.
Hanson suggested that Israel’s offensive has also undermined Iran’s efforts to derail a potential Saudi-Israel normalization deal and isolate Israel internationally.
“Israel is no longer seen as the soft one in the region,” he stated, adding that the successful military operations against Hezbollah and Hamas have given Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a much-needed boost domestically.
While acknowledging the challenges of the ground war in Gaza, Hanson believes that Israel’s next step might involve establishing a buffer zone in Lebanon, enforcing the UN resolution that restricts Hezbollah’s presence near the Israeli border.
Hanson further urged the international community to “do the right thing” and ensure compliance with the resolution, preventing a wider regional conflict.
“Let’s not turn this into a regional war,” he urged, adding that “this might be the place where the international community… needs to actually do the right thing.”
First Piper 