Pat Kenny spoke to Irish Times Contributor based in Israel Mark Weiss and Professor of International Politics at the Clinton Centre UCD, Scott Lucas about the ongoing conflict in Iran and what it means for the US to have its sights on Kharg Island.

The war between Iran, Israel and the United States is approaching the three-week mark with no sign of de-escalation. 

Israel says it has struck hundreds of targets across Iran, while Tehran has continued to fire missiles towards Israel and is keeping the Straits of Hormuz effectively shut.

Irish Times Contributor based in Israel Mark Weiss told the Pat Kenny Show on Saturday that “Israel welcomes US strikes on Iranian targets” given the collaborative nature of this war. 

“Israel and the US are working hand in hand with very deep cooperation on all aspects of this ongoing military operation,” he told Newstalk. 

“It's been a question since the start of the war, whether Israel or the US would strike at Kharg Island. It is a very important economic asset for the Iranian regime. Ninety percent of Iranian oil exports go through the island.

“If they wanted to, the air forces of Israel and the US could inflict a very severe blow, basically crippling the Iranian economy by targeting the oil export terminals there.”

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo by: Alex Brandon.

Mr Weiss explained that the United States had already made headway in Iran: “ they have already taken out the overwhelming assets of the Iranian army, the air force and the navy in particular, and the ballistic missile capability.”

He said Iran’s response to date has been to attac by targeting the Gulf Arab states and their oil refining and capabilities and refineries.

He told the Pat Kenny Show that this did not constitute an an escalation of hostilities but rather “more of the same” continuing on. 

“They will hit American Gulf allies and their oil industry as much as they can’, he added. 

Described as “a war of attrition”, its key element is that it will be executed by exerting as much pressure on America’s allies in the region as possible. However, the pressure has not yet prompted President Trump to call off the war effort. 

“It might be fair to say that the attacks from Iran on Israeli civilian centers are at a relatively low level”, he told Pat Kenny. 

“This still means the average Israeli is running to the bomb shelter two or three times a day and during the night. Israel has been escalating in Lebanon however because they want to  end the threat from Hezbollah on Israel's northern communities.”

A man checks the damage to his home after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon. Picture by: Hassan Ammar.

Professor of International Politics at the Clinton Centre UCD, Scott Lucas said President Trump said President Trump showed “puffery” overnight about having allegedly obliterated every single Iranian military personnel on the island without somehow actually hitting the oil infrastructure at the same time.

U.S. Central Command has said operations were carried out, but without defining what the extent of the damage is.

He noted that attempts to occupy Kharg Island would be crossing a line as there was “no certainty it would be a clean and quick operation.”

“Overnight, it was confirmed that the USS Tripoli, which is an amphibious carrier, one of the largest in U.S. Navy, and 2,500 Marines are being moved into the Arabian Sea. That is a potential force to try to occupy Karg.

“Even if Karg Island were to fall to the Americans, sure, the Iranians would take a hit on their oil export revenue, but they still would control this very, very large country, which has about 90 million people. So just taking Karg Island is not going to be enough”.