Political analyst and writer Hamadeh Fra’aneh told Radio Al-Balad that the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran came as a surprise, using ongoing international negotiations as a cover to mislead other parties. Fra’aneh explained that the conflict centers on three main issues: Iran’s nuclear enrichment, its regional allies and proxies, and ballistic missiles, emphasizing that the military tensions were not necessarily justified by direct threats but were driven by strategic and political objectives in the region.

Fra’aneh noted that Iran had adhered to the 2015 nuclear agreement with the U.S. and Europe, which was unilaterally canceled in 2018. Subsequent rounds of negotiations were held in Switzerland, with the last session on February 26, 2026, just two days before the U.S.-Israeli strike on February 28, which he described as a “strategic deception” exploiting the negotiations.

He analyzed the three main points of contention: nuclear enrichment, Iran’s regional allies and proxies, and ballistic missiles, stressing that none of these issues alone justified a full-scale war, especially given Iran’s positive engagement in negotiations and its commitment to diplomatic solutions, as well as its inability to confront the United States militarily on its own.

Fra’aneh highlighted that the attack aimed to achieve U.S.-Israeli strategic goals, including sidelining the Palestinian issue and Gaza, consolidating Israeli dominance over the Arab East from the Jordan River to the Iraqi border, and reinforcing President Trump’s global leadership status, amid a weakened European stance pursuing strategic independence from Washington.

He also underscored Iran’s active role in supporting the Palestinians, noting that the U.S.-Israeli alliance targeted Iran for political and strategic reasons, while other major powers, such as Russia preoccupied with the Ukraine war and China focused on its economic interests, limited the escalation into a global conflict.

Fra’aneh concluded by emphasizing that this war revealed the fragility of the Gulf states’ reliance on U.S. protection and stressed the importance of unifying Gulf countries and engaging with Iran on a basis of mutual respect, while supporting Jordan and Egypt as pillars of regional stability. He added that these events serve as a crucial lesson for Arab governments and publics to understand their national interests, act accordingly, and strengthen self-reliance while limiting foreign interference.