New Delhi: In a powerful address delivered at the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind headquarters in New Delhi, renowned Middle East affairs expert Dr. Zafar-ul-Islam Khan dissected the profound regional shifts following the recent twelve-day war between Iran and Israel. The event, held at the Media Conference Hall, was attended by Jamaat’s national president Sayed Saadatullah Hussaini and several dignitaries from Jamia Nagar.
Dr. Khan described how Israel has been embroiled in multi-front conflicts over the past 18 months, beginning with Gaza in October 2023, followed by aggressive operations in the West Bank and Lebanon. He asserted that Israel’s preemptive strike on Iran on June 13, 2025, was a calculated move to halt US-Iran nuclear talks. However, the war backfired dramatically. Despite initial bravado, Israel was forced to seek a ceasefire just days later, leading to US intervention.
Highlighting the financial and military blow to Israel, Dr. Khan said Tel Aviv faced unprecedented destruction, including the crippling of one-third of the city. Iran’s missile response penetrated Israeli defenses, destroying key infrastructure including the Eilat and Haifa ports and Ben-Gurion Airport, now partially reopened. Notably, he claimed this was the first time Israel has been militarily defeated and the psychological impact on its civilian population was profound.
He stated that Iran, isolated and unsupported, had nonetheless shown it could withstand and retaliate against both Israel and the United States. Despite lacking F-35 aircraft, Iran’s strategic missile capabilities shook Israel’s aerial dominance. The US-led Western bloc – including the UK, France, Germany, and Jordan – attempted to neutralize Iranian strikes, but Iran emerged stronger. Dr. Khan asserted that this conflict has boosted the domestic legitimacy of Iran’s government and elevated Ayatollah Khamenei’s stature in the Islamic world.
Dr. Khan criticized the deceptive tactics of Trump and Netanyahu, noting that while they pretended to pursue diplomacy, they authorized a surprise assault. He emphasized the long-standing US-Israel agenda to eliminate independent regimes in the Middle East, replacing them with pro-Western governments. While they succeeded in Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Sudan, Iran remains a formidable exception.
He reminded the audience that Israel never signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and is believed to possess around 800 nuclear warheads, while Iran remains a signatory to the NPT and has no proven nuclear arsenal. This, he said, reveals the hypocrisy of the justification used for the war.
Dr. Khan also drew attention to the devastating toll in Gaza, where over 100,000 people have been killed, including women and children, and nearly everything has been destroyed since Israel’s assault began on October 7, 2023. He cited Israeli newspaper Haaretz to reveal that four percent of Gaza’s population has been wiped out in under two years.
He condemned Israel’s ongoing war crimes, including shooting civilians in food lines, and described these atrocities as attempts to break the spirit of Palestinian resistance. Yet, resistance fighters remain active, with recent incidents of Israeli military losses inside Gaza sparking criticism within Israeli society itself.
Dr. Khan concluded that Iran’s stand has reshaped the power equations in the Middle East. Israel’s overconfidence and dependence on the US have been exposed. He argued that while Israel celebrated a premature victory, Iran has demonstrated self-reliance, endurance, and strategic depth. Despite lacking powerful allies, Iran’s policy clarity on resisting Israeli aggression has gained popular support across the Arab and Islamic world.
The lecture ended with an insightful question-and-answer session, as attendees pondered the broader implications of this epoch-defining conflict.
