How long the joint U.S.–Israeli bombardment of Iran will last remains uncertain. What is clearer, however, is Israel’s strategic objective.

The aim appears to be the creation of a prolonged environment of chaos that will occupy parts of the region for years. By weakening state structures, arming various groups, and creating a cycle of violence, the region can be drawn into a prolonged period of instability. In pursuit of this objective, civilians, including women and children, are being targeted without distinction.

Israel has acted with confidence partly because of the sometimes open and mostly tacit approval it received from the United States and the European Union during the genocide in Gaza. At the same time, the inability of leaders in the Islamic world to demonstrate even minimal unity has further emboldened such actions.

The broader objective seems to be the expansion of the current “ring of fire”.

Developments over the past month, both before and after the war against Iran began, already illustrate the direction in which events in the region appear to be moving.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reportedly stated that he sees no reason why the Al-Aqsa Mosque should not be demolished (and 3rd Temple built in its place).

The U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said in an interview with Tucker Carlson that Israel could control the territory “from the Nile to the Euphrates” and that such a claim would be legitimate.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu frequently speaks of the emergence of a new “Sunni axis” against Israel and openly states that new allies will be sought to counter it,  such as India’s authoritarian leader Narendra Modi best known for his anti-Muslim policies.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett recently declared that “the new Iran is Türkiye,” adding that Türkiye and President Erdoğan represent a “more sophisticated threat.”

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal, known for its hawkish positions, published an article arguing that US should take action in case before Türkiye fills the vacuum that may emerge from Iran and even reassess NATO partnerships.

Even during the first days of missile strikes on Iran, senior Israeli officials repeatedly mentioned Türkiye. In American think tanks that have long promoted anti-Türkiye narratives, the immediate reaction was to say: “Ankara may one day become the next Tehran.”

In other words, even before the outcome of their war against Iran becomes clear, discussions about the new war have already begun.