The Monocle Daily Europe’s response to US and Israeli strikes on Iran
8 snips
Mar 2, 2026 
Kenneth R. Rosen, author and Arctic geopolitics expert; Quentin Peel, journalist on geopolitics and markets; Bertu Urschelik, Middle East security specialist. They debate Europe’s varied responses to US and Israeli strikes on Iran. Conversation covers Tehran’s reactions, risks of wider Gulf entanglement, market impacts and how NATO and Arctic tensions intersect with global security.
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Israel Will Keep Conflict Airborne To Avoid Ground Costs
- Israel prefers airstrikes and limited ground action against Hezbollah due to public fatigue and casualty concerns.
- Nimrod Goran (from Tel Aviv) argues Israeli public accepts air campaigns but lacks appetite for a full-scale Lebanon invasion.
Iran Intentionally Spreads Damage To Gain Political Leverage
- Iran's strikes are meant to spread damage to pressure the US and its partners to pull back.
- Quentin Peel and Bertu Urschelik note Tehran deliberately targeted multiple countries and US assets to widen political cost and provoke restraint.
Khamenei’s Death Creates Resilience And Fragility Simultaneously
- The assassination of Iran's supreme leader produced institutional resilience but major symbolic fragility for the regime.
- Bertu Urschelik explains succession is possible quickly yet the leader's death exposes intelligence and security weaknesses inviting internal bargaining.
