Politics

Krauthammer: Israeli strike on Iran ‘will not cause a world war’ [VIDEO]

Jeff Poor Media Reporter
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On Wednesday’s “Special Report Online” segment on FoxNews.com, syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer said that if Israel decides to attack Iran in order to thwart its development of nuclear weapons, the collateral damage wouldn’t start a third world war.

Krauthammer based that hypothesis on Iran not having allies that would be willing to intervene significantly on a military level. (RELATED: More analysis from Charles Krauthammer)

“It could cause a regional war,” Krauthammer said. “It will not cause a world war by any means. It’s not August 1914, because Iran has no great power allies who will intervene militarily.  Iran is going to be alone with its clients, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas — all of whom are on their heels right now.”

He said it would require Iran acting out in an irrational way and luring the United States into engagement for any conflict to become more widespread.

“If Iran is smart, it will not attack the United States in retaliation because that would involve us,” he said. “It would retaliate against Israel and it could remain a limited engagement. Now of course, irrationality is possible and you cannot predict. If the Iranians either close the Strait of Hormuz or attack Americans at the naval facility in Bahrain, that would be suicide because that would occasion American intervention, almost like Wilson in the First World War in the sinking of the Lusitania. You don’t do that if you’re rational, but who knows. The Iranians haven’t always been rational.”

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