Iran: The Latest ‘Drunk on assassinations’: What is Israel’s Iran war strategy?
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Mar 19, 2026 Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent reporting from Turkey and northern Iraq, gives field updates on strikes, Kurdish forces and regional tensions. Henry Bodkin, Jerusalem correspondent, explains Israeli military moves, strategy and political calculations. They discuss the South Pars attack, energy fallout, daily strikes in Iraq, Kurdish demands for action, Turkish restraint and the Lebanon front.
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Israel Frames War As Existential, Not Just Tactical
- Israel's stated aim aligns with regime change rhetoric similar to Donald Trump's but is grounded in an existential security threat perception.
- Henry Bodkin says Israel aims more narrowly to degrade Iran's capabilities and exploit a perceived window to provoke internal unrest.
Targeting Infrastructure To Amplify Political Pressure
- Israeli strategy includes targeting civilian infrastructure like power and gas to create pressure that could spark uprisings during religious festivals.
- Bodkin notes planners hope outages during Nowruz and Eid might amplify public anger toward Tehran.
Iraq As The War's Microcosm
- Iraq is uniquely impacted, hosting both Western troops and Iranian-backed militias, making it a battlefield hit by multiple sides.
- Sophia Yan describes Iraq as a microcosm of the wider war because of its long border and embedded militias.