Joining Emmet Oliver to discuss the latest developments following the US and Israeli-led attacks on Iran are Tel Aviv-based journalist, Paul Kearns and Cathal Berry, former Independent TD and former member of the Defense Forces.
Tel Aviv-based journalist, Paul Kearns told Newstalk’s Emmett Oliver that since the announcement of the joint US and Israeli strikes sirens had been going on in the city.
“There's some explosions in the sky. Missiles have been directed at Tel Aviv and have been shot down,” he added.
“Our family thought that more might happen in the last week or so, especially in the last 24 hours. There was a sense that something was happening. We've gone through this before, last year.
“Up to 90 percent of all missiles are shot down. The ones that do get through, and they do get through, the devastation can be, almost a few city blocks wide.
He noted that the situation was stressful especially with two young kids as they need to decide if their children will stay in shelters themselves.
Most Israeli apartments built in the last 20 to 30 years would have what's called a war room, which is a reinforced room. While they operate as normal bedrooms when there's no war.
But if a building is struck, the room is supposed to protect those inside from a direct hit.
He told Newstalk Saturday that while Israel had dealt with attacks last year, these were different because these new strikes pose “an existential threat to Iran.”
While Israel has infrastructures to protect its citizens from airstrikes, Mr Kearns noted that they are never normalised.
“People are people. They might have experienced this for three years on and off with Hamas rockets and Iranian rockets. But you don't get used to it, you know, especially when you have young children.
“I have a three year old and the alarms went off this morning and we haven't heard alarms for a while. And she was remarkably, I don't know, calm. She's familiar with this noise.
The nine year old is also calm. The nine year old is worried that school might be cancelled and they're running to the bomb shelters. And it was kind of shocking to see them this time being so calm.”
Cathal Berry, former Independent TD and former member of the Defense Forces told Emmett Oliver it was unlikely the Iranian regime change would be accomplished entirely through air strikes.
He noted that every single American intervention across the Middle East and North Africa has been “complete failures and catastrophes for Libya, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan” but that this one was very well flagged and telegraphed so as to coincide with the close of the markets.
Despite this he identified the key vulnerability in the United States to be the extent of the dispersion of their bases.
“You can see how the Iranian tactic and strategy this morning is to attack as many bases as possible, because even the Americans, even the Americans can't protect every single one of their installations,” he told Newstalk Saturday’s Emmett Oliver.
“It's an open question whether this conflict will widen and whether Russia and China will get involved, which is highly unlikely.”
