See-El Flores

Once again, Israel faced the possibly of annihilation. And like in the past, it stood alone against an unpredictable adversary. While the United Nations and the superpowers of the world ignored the Iranian threat, Iran continued to build its nuclear capabilities. While continuing to insist that their nuclear program was peaceful, Iran now had more than three-hundred nuclear related facilities spread across the country. Some, like the light-water reactor in Bushehr were in plain sight and clearly served a peaceful purpose. Others, such as the uranium enrichment plants, the heavy water plant, and the heavy water reactor, hidden in the mountains or deep beneath the desert, could only serve one purpose; to develop nuclear weapons.

Israel informs Jordan in secrecy that it has incontrovertible proof that Iran will soon have nuclear weapons. Israel implies that it will make a preemptive strike against Iran and that they may have to overfly Jordan to complete their mission. The Jordanian King is concerned about the repercussions of allowing Israel to violate Jordanian airspace to attack Iran. Iran indirectly warns Jordan against collaborating with Israel. Jordan asks Israel to find a different approach.

Meanwhile, Iran is causing havoc in other areas of the world to divert attention away from itself. Under Iranian influence, the Prime Minister of Iraq is assassinated, a revolution occurs in Bahrain and in Yemen, and the US Embassy in Nicaragua is attacked. At the same time, Iran is making alliances with other countries through bribery and coercion.

Israel plans and executes a preemptive strike against Iran overflying Saudi Arabia instead of Jordan. Iran cries out for world condemnation accusing Israel of being a rogue and aggressive state with disregard for diplomacy and international law. They accuse Israel of killing countless Iranian civilians while causing minimal damage to Iranian military facilities.

Israel discovers that Iran's nuclear program is far from crippled. In fact, they have a hidden underground nuclear facility in the northeast far away from the scrutiny of prying eyes and satellites. Further, Iran tests a nuclear weapon in one of its vast deserts. When confronted about it, they claim that it was a military exercise gone awry. But Israel knows better. Now, the urgency to curtail Iran is immediate. An Iranian nuclear weapon is no longer hypothetical. What's more, Iran feels humiliated by Israel. It will do whatever it has to relieve its shame.

In spite of the growing Iranian influence, Israel manages to forge new alliances with unexpected partners. These include Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt, Turkey, and Pakistan. Israel is ready to, once again, attempt to cripple the Iranian nuclear program. But it lacks the technology to do so, short of a nuclear strike. The United States, however, has the capability to destroy the newly discovered Iranian facility but it lacks the political will. Israel finally convinces the U.S. to lend its technology to the cause. With the cooperation of its newly formed alliances, Israel manages to curtail Iran's nuclear aspirations.

Although a book of fiction, this book describes one of the many possible scenarios that may result from the complex and frightening atmosphere in the Middle East. Recent developments in the area have taken the focus off the Iranian nuclear program and put it on the revolutions in Egypt, Libya, Syria, and Yemen. The names of the actors may change from time to time. But the truth remains that a real and immediate threat exists in the area that, if not addressed soon, may lead the world to Armageddon.