Saed News: Hebrew media have reported that the Prime Minister of the Zionist regime has visited the Bat Yam area, which was heavily targeted by Iranian missile strikes.
According to the political service of Saed News analytical news outlet, before the start of the negotiations, Netanyahu, in a meeting with the U.S. President, stated that his preferred model for negotiations was the “Libya model.” Prior to the sixth round of talks, Israel launched a war against Iran. The American journal The Wall Street Journal wrote on the matter: “Negotiations were a cover for the attack.”
The question is: What is the Libya model, and how is Iran different from Libya?
Step One: Negotiation for Disarmament
In the 1980s, Libya, under the leadership of Muammar Gaddafi, was advancing along the path of development, including military progress. As always, the increase of internal and military power in a non-Western country triggered U.S. concerns, and so America resorted to one of its primary tools — economic sanctions. After growing pressure, Gaddafi agreed to negotiate with the United States.
Eventually, in 2003, Libya and the U.S. reached an agreement. According to the deal, Libya gave up its nuclear program and restricted its missile capabilities. It also allowed foreign forces to inspect sensitive sites. However, the U.S. did not fulfill its promise to lift sanctions and normalize relations with Libya.
Step Two: Domestic Uprising Coupled with Military Attack
After Libya’s military capabilities were weakened, internal uprisings began with the intervention of American and Western intelligence agencies, plunging the country into crisis in 2011.
The U.S. and NATO, under the pretext of rescuing Libyan civilians from Gaddafi’s regime, launched Operation Odyssey Dawn. This operation was carried out by a coalition of American, British, and French forces. It involved heavy aerial bombardments, resulting in the deaths of Libyan civilians.
Libya, which had previously disarmed itself through negotiations with the U.S., was unable to resist foreign aggression.
According to the U.S. Air Force, in March 2011, the 34th Bomb Squadron was ordered to strike Libya. Thomas Brock, the then-director of the squadron, said: “Within less than 42 hours of notification, munitions were gathered, all aircraft were loaded, and the jets were ready for launch. Two-thousand-pound bombs were used in the operation.” Ultimately, Gaddafi was killed, and the Libyan government was overthrown. But this was just the beginning.
Step Three: Libya’s Fragmentation after Gaddafi’s Fall
It was assumed that, following Gaddafi’s fall, as promised by the U.S., a government would rise that would both cooperate with the West and bring development to Libya. However, post-Gaddafi Libya became a battleground of civil war, terrorist presence, and separatist activities. According to UN reports, from 2011 to 2022, over 20,000 people were killed in the civil war, and more than a million were displaced.
Fifteen years on, Libya remains unstable and lacks a unified national government. From 2011 onwards, nine prime ministers have come to power in just five years. Since the 2014 parliamentary elections, Libya has seen two governments ruling simultaneously.
One government in the west, based in Tripoli, is supported by the Turkey-Qatar axis. The eastern government, based in Tobruk, is backed by Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The civil war has continued since then. For example, in 2019, the Tobruk government launched an attack on Tripoli, resulting in heavy human casualties.
How Is Iran Different from Libya?
Iran is fundamentally different from Libya in many ways, making Netanyahu’s desire to “turn Iran into Libya” a strategic mistake that will ultimately fail:
Unlike Libya, Iran was never deceived in negotiations with the U.S. and did not disarm itself. Iran has firmly refused to negotiate over its military capabilities. It has also not backed down from uranium enrichment, which is a key element of power and deterrence.
The Israeli war against Iran, contrary to Tel Aviv’s expectations, has led to increased national unity and solidarity. Even political factions that disagree on many issues have united in opposition to Israel and in support of Iran’s armed forces. The British think tank Chatham House notes that war could boost the legitimacy of the Islamic Republic both domestically and internationally.
Iran has thousands of years of history, and Israel — which resembles a large military base — cannot fragment a nation of such depth and heritage.
Iran possesses numerous sources of power: military capability, the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman, proximity to U.S. bases, regional influence, and even nuclear potential — all of these make Iran a force to be reckoned with.
